[ gpsdrive ] gpsfetchmap

[Andreas Putzo]

On Sep 25, Joerg Ostertag wrote:
> Am Dienstag, 25. September 2007 20:27:34 schrieb Andreas Putzo:
> > i noticed that the header of gpsfetchmap.pl changed from the last
> >
> > release. It now states:
> > | #!/usr/bin/perl
> > | # gpsfetchmap
> > | #
> > | # You are allowed to modify the source code in any way you want
> > | # except you cannot modify this copyright details
> > | # or remove the polite feature.
> > | #
> > | # NO WARRANTY.
> >
> > This looks to me like some kind of a license statement. Beside that it
> > is quite incomplete (is redistribution granted?) it unfortunately has
> > a clause in it i would consider not to be free.
> > Not changing the copright should be fine but why is it not allowed to
> > remove the polite feature?
> > IMHO this restriction does not make sense anyway because i can easily
> > use the command line switch --polite=0 if i choose to be impolite (not
> > that i ever would :).
> > I don't know when exactly this has been introduced but maybe it can be
> > changed back? Why not put this script under the GPL like the rest of
> > gpsdrive?
> 
> This restriction was introduced to reduce the chance of getting in trouble 
> with any of the map providers. But in then long term we hopefully won't need 
> to support any restricted map-provider with gpsfetchmap any more.

That's understandable. I'm a bit curious, did one of the map provider
complain up to now?
However, as i said, these restriction can easily be circumvented, even
without modifying the code (which is also allowed as long as i don't
remove the feature).
Isn't it perhaps a better solution to state in the license that the
polite feature _should_ be used and maybe also show a warning/disclaimer
if it isn't instead of putting the script under a non-free license?

Cheers,
Andreas