Re: embedded emc and GPL

["Pete Cook" <kf2qd-at-terraworld.net>]

Okay - Where is the problem - the code that NIST was involved is not
copyrightable because of American tax dollars at work (play? ) in the
development of the program. Does the GPL prohibit public domain? The source
code is available and well as the programs - for free - which would seem to
meet the spirit and intent of the GPL. Or is there some pressing legal hooha
that someone is trying to exploit to the harm of all others involved?

WHat's the problem???


Pete
>
> Hi Dean
>
> I thought I'd leave this one for a few days to give the big guns to weigh
in
> first - Surprised there hasn't been a response.
>
> Below is a copy of Fred Procter's declaration on the subject when it
cropped
> up in the summer of 2000. I would add that allthough this applies to EMC
and
> the rcslib, Extensions such as Ray's Tcl/Tk routines, the modified Gnome
> stripchart, and the backplotter program are subject to GPL licenses.
>
> For more information on this subject, might I suggest a read of the
relevant
> FAQ in the handbook at www.linuxcnc.org .
>
> Regards, Paul.
>
>
> On Tuesday 26 Feb 2002 4:57 am, Dean L. Hedin wrote:
> > >
> > > would you email me offlist?  There's some things that I want to
discuss
> > > with you involving emc.
> > > <evil grin>
> >
> > Like the fact that that EMC is'nt GPL'd?
>
>
>  Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 15:58:47 -0400 (EDT)
>  From: Fred Proctor frederick.proctor-at-nist.gov
>  Subject: EMC software copyright, etc.
>
>  EMC folks,
>
>  The EMC software was written by us U.S. government employees, and is  not
> subject to copyright. It's public domain. If we tried to keep it out of
yourh
> ands we couldn't, because of the Freedom of Information Act.
>  You can do anything you want with it, like give it away, sell it,
whatever.
> You can't copyright it yourself.
>
>  You can put an EMC on a machine tool and resell it, as some of you have
> done. This is great. You can make an easy-install CD and sell this for
big
> bucks, no problem.
>
>  We wrote this to support our work testing plug-and-play standards for
> machine tools and robots. There's no warrantee, support, or anything  like
> that. The emc-at-nist.gov mailing list is the support, and it's working
great.
>
>  --Fred
>
>