[Mimedefang] GPLv3

[Kevin A. McGrail]

> # This program was derived from the sample program "mimeexplode"
> # in the MIME-Tools Perl module distribution.
> #
> # $Id: mimedefang.pl.in 14589 2007-03-28 19:37:12Z dfs $
> #***********************************************************************
>
> That's GPLv2-or-later.

Richard,

As I understand things, you've definitely found a major issue. The file 
COPYING specifies version 2 only.  But many of the files in MD do have the 
version 2 or later text.

However, making things more complicated, the mimedefang.pl was based on a 
file from MIME-Tools which means it could fall back to the license from 
MIME-Tools.  That product is licensed based on Perl's license which allows 
either Perl Artistic or GPL v1 or later.

So fundamentally, I think MIMEDefang and any derivitive works (very likely 
including CanIT) might completely fall under a much broader license than RP 
probably wants.  I know that what RP does in providing CanIT counts as 
distribution.  So I think the code for CanIT might have to be public.

In short, if mimedefang.pl is built on MIME-Tools, than it's possibly a 
derivitive work.  If CanIT then incorporates this, it is also likely a 
derivative work.  If it's used internally, changes to the code can be kept 
private.  But if they are distributed, then they have to be open source.

GPL v2 or v3 aside, I think there might be a much messier licensing issue 
for RP/DFS to deal with :-(

However, fundamentally, does the use of a sample program for a "stand-alone" 
distribution constitute a derivative work.  I could argue no.

But in the end, there are still conflicting licensing on files inside of MD.

regards,
KAM