[MonoDevelop] Licensing concerns.

[Miguel de Icaza]

Hello,

    First, I think that the use of MIT X11 for new code is good from the
point of view that the new code produced can be more easily be folded
back into other projects, so that is a good thing.

    Like others have pointed out, if the code is a derivative piece
(pieces originated from #Develop, code was copy pasted, code evolved
from the original) that code has to remain GPL.

    But the bits that are completely new can be MIT X11.   

    To avoid getting into problems, I would be very conservative, and
would say that if the code can be placed and reused outside outside of
MonoDevelop it without reusing the existing infrastructure its safe to
put in X11, if not it has to be GPL. 

    Which probably means that new widgetry (like the new Dock which is a
complete rewrite) can fall under the MIT X11, and other components which
are not entirely pieces of MonoDevelop, and could conceivably be used
elsewhere.

    I applaud this decision, if only because it means that if there are
interesting bits, we can easily put them back into our class libs. 

> - Having multiple licenses in a project just causes confusion in my opinion

    I agree, but if we choose the X11 license now for new components, we
have a higher chance of reusing those in the future (us and third
parties), but we have to be very clear and explicit: files must carry
the license at the top.

> - Anything submitted as MIT/X11 can just be put into MD as GPL, right?

    Yes, you can use MIT/X11 on MD without a problem.

> - Subjecting ourselves to some sort of licensing conspiracy theory

    This is a surprise to me, I do not know what Todd's reasons were,
but am certainly glad.  In fact, I might want to MIT X11 some other
pieces of code from Mono (tools mostly).

Miguel