[MUD-Dev] code base inquiry

[Travis S. Casey]

On Mon, 15 Nov 1999, Robert Green wrote:

> One particularly excellent reason is that, in my case, the original code
> base (nightmare 3.x basis) was later withdrawn from circulation and
> declared as unavailable to anybody for any future projects. As a result,
> I am probably one of only 2 or 3 muds still using this codebase, and if
> something happens to my server, I would be in 'violation' of the current
> license if I start over from scratch -- a GPL mud could not be
> "un-released" in this manner. 

Actually, it could.  Someone who chooses to distribute original software
under the GPL can still change his/her license terms at any time, just as
Descartes did with Nightmare.

If someone incorporates GPLed code that they did not create into their
codebase, then they would not be able to change the license -- but someone
who writes a codebase from scratch and releases it under the GPL can
un-GPL it at any time.

Whether such retroactive license changes are legal is another question 
-- but that question is independent of the use of the GPL.

--
       |\      _,,,---,,_        Travis S. Casey  <efindel at io.com>
 ZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_   No one agrees with me.  Not even me.
      |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'
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