OpenERP Webclient proprietär

[Matthias Kirschner]

Hi there,

Bernhard pointed out on fsfe-de at fsfeurope.org that the license from
http://www.openerp.com/download/stable/source/openerp-web-5.0.12.tar.gz
looks like it is non-free. Here a quick and dirty translation of the
message (the party from OpenERP were in English before):

  The OpenERP web client is distributed under the "OpenERP Public License".
  It's based on Mozilla Public License (MPL) Version 1.1 with following
  restrictions:

  -   All names, links and logos of Open ERP must be kept as in original
    distribution without any changes in all software screens, especially in
    start-up page and the software header, even if the application source code
    has been changed or updated or code has been added.

You cannot use it for any purpose, e.g. make a version for very small
screens (you are not allowed to remove the logos).

The company 2007-TODAY Tiny ERP Pvt Ltd is also experimenting:

  If you need commercial licence to remove this kind of restriction please
  contact us.

This would mean that they think that you are not allowed to use their
software commercially, but that you have to buy another license.

But in their FAQ they write:

.  Why add branding restrictions on MPL?

    These restrictions are only to maintain our trademark and branding. 
    It will not affect in any case product copying, 
    improvements, deploying, etc.

    We believe that community will not be affected by these few restrictions
    that's goal is only to recognise editors efforts. Source still opens and
    free so enjoy.

This might be influences by the amount and places of Open ERP's "links"
and "logos", but the startup page is definetely bothering.

Debian is packaging it also under non-free, see
http://git.debian-maintainers.org/?p=open-object/openerp-web.git;a=blob;f=debian/control;hb=HEAD

Does anyone know more about it? Can someone help to distribute this to
more people. For example the Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenERP says it is Free Software.

Regards,
Matthias

-- 
Matthias Kirschner - Fellowship Coordinator, German Coordinator
Free Software Foundation Europe (fsfe.org)
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