License question

[Hank Kilmer]

The intent of the license to to maintain recognition but still allow 
free use.  We have discussed updating the license to make it more 
"standard" and clear - more later on that.  You are free to use it as 
described.

-Hank

Michael Stefaniuc wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> while trying to improve the rancid spec file i got from Dan Pfleger so i 
> can start testing rancid i run into a non technical problem: the 
> license. I have read the COPYING file and there is the "non-commerical 
> purposes" limitation for copying, modifying and redistribution. But 
> there is no mention of "use" of the software in there.
> I googled around and what i found is that FreshMeat shows as license 
> "Other/Proprietary License" 
> (http://themes.freshmeat.net/projects/rancid/) and Debian marks it as 
> "non-free" (http://packages.debian.org/unstable/source/rancid). Couldn't 
> find any previous license discussions for rancid that's why i'm asking now.
> To me the software looks like an advertising BSD license with some 
> non-commercial restrictions but IANAL so i asked one. His answer was: "I 
> would ask that you contact the maintainers and ask that they clarify 
> that the non-commercial restriction applies only to re-distribution, not 
> to use, copying or modification."
> 
> What we want to do is to use the rancid internaly at Red Hat, not to 
> sell it, not to distribute it and not to sell any services based on it. 
> Only pure internal use.
> 
> bye
>     michael