[Asterisk-Users] Rewriting asterisk to a full-scale system? (WAS: IBM to Run VoIP On Linux)

[Tilghman Lesher]

On Saturday 08 November 2003 14:56, Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk wrote:
> I beleive there's an (at least below) unmentioned argument why
> Asterisk may fail getting really big:
> Since Digium/Mark refuses to include any code that isn't copyrighted
> Digium/Mark, I'm afraid quite a few developers may be effectively
> excluded. By requiring a 'giveaway' to Digium/Mark, we stand the
> chance that the project one day will change its license to a (more)
> closed license (as just happened to MySQL, for instance). We already
> have channel drivers not included in the asterisk CVS because of this
> (chan_oh323 and chan_capi).

That's incorrect.  Mark does _NOT_ require you to assign copyright.
For instance, take a look at app_sayunixtime.c, which is under my
copyright, but which is included in CVS.  What Mark does require you
to do, however, is to disclaim the code you write to Digium (i.e. you
grant the right to Digium to use the code you contribute, irrevocably,
with no conditions).

> I am not saying this license change will happen, but there's always a
> chance, and for some the requirement of giviing away the copyright to
> their own code may be a hinder to write it in the first place.

It's true that Mark can take all of the code private in the future, but
under the terms of the GPL, he cannot terminate the license of those
who already have the code, provided they abide by the terms of the GPL.
Like the StarOffice/OpenOffice split, the last code released under GPL
could be forked and continued development under the GPL.

-Tilghman