Re: License for mixminion dist

[David Mazieres <dm@scs.cs.nyu.edu>]

For the server side and maybe client, too (in case there is any common
code), I would recommend using some variant of my anonymous remailer
public license (ARPL):

   1. You may use and modify the software.

   2. You may use the software or a modified version to copy its own
      exact source code.

   3. You may use other programs to copy this software's source code.
      However, you must in this case make absolutely clear that the
      source code does not correspond to the program that copied it.

   4. You may redistribute the software in whole or in part in any way
      permitted by version 2 or later of the GNU General Public
      License (GPL) and not explicitly allowed by clauses 1-3.
      However, once copied under the GPL, subsequent copies can only
      be made under the GPL.  Before creating such a copy, therefore,
      you must remove from the software and all accompanying files any
      claim to be covered by the Anonymous Remailer Public License.

The idea is that any mixminion server should have an automatic
mechanism for giving out its own source code.  That way, anyone who
wants can verify the integrity of a server by examining its source
code.

Of course, people should be free to modify mixminion and keep the
changes secret, but if they do this they cannot continue to give out
copies of the original source code (unless they state that that's not
what they're running).  Also, anyone should be able to incorporate
parts of mixminion into GPLed programs.  However, if the resulting
programs ever claim to be distributing their own source code, then
either the claim must be true or the ARPL option must be removed from
any ARPLed files (thereby raising a red flag).

I have been advised that this license isn't good enough, because state
governments are not bound by copyright law.  Thus, I need to modify
the license slightly so that there is an additional "shrink-wrap
contract" which would bind governments that could otherwise copy the
original source without restrictions.  If you guys are interested,
though, I could do this and run it by a lawyer.

David