Fwd: Nmap ( http://directory.fsf.org/project/nmap/ ) is Mis-Interpreting the GPL

[Shlomi Fish]

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Nmap ( http://directory.fsf.org/project/nmap/ ) is Mis-Interpreting 
the GPL
Date: Saturday 21 Nov 2009, 12:29:05
From: Shlomi Fish <shlomif at iglu.org.il>
To: bug-directory at fsf.org
CC: fyodor at insecure.org

Hi!

It seems that while http://directory.fsf.org/project/nmap/ says that nmap is 
licensed under the GPLv2 or later, then the licence of the nmap COPYING file 
contains some clauses at the top before the text of the GPL itself which 
balantly mis-interpret the spirit of the GPL and most probably violate the 
copyright of the licence text itself:

http://nmap.org/svn/COPYING

Reading from that COPYING file:

<<<<<<<<<<<
 * Note that the GPL places important restrictions on "derived works", yet *
 * it does not provide a detailed definition of that term.  To avoid       *
 * misunderstandings, we consider an application to constitute a           *
 * "derivative work" for the purpose of this license if it does any of the *
 * following:                                                              *
 * o Integrates source code from Nmap                                      *
 * o Reads or includes Nmap copyrighted data files, such as                *
 *   nmap-os-db or nmap-service-probes.                                    *
 * o Executes Nmap and parses the results (as opposed to typical shell or  *
 *   execution-menu apps, which simply display raw Nmap output and so are  *
 *   not derivative works.)                                                * 
 * o Integrates/includes/aggregates Nmap into a proprietary executable     *
 *   installer, such as those produced by InstallShield.                   *
 * o Links to a library or executes a program that does any of the above   *
 *                                                                         *
>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm sorry, but running nmap and parsing its output (from a brand new code) 
cannot be considered derivative work of a GPLed code, and so this is a blatant 
mis-interpretation and manipulation of what the GPL is about.

I request that either the licence of nmap be changed to a vanilla GPL without 
such mis-interpretations at the top, or that it will be considered non-free 
software by the Free Software Foundation and promptly be removed from the 
FSF/UNESCO directory.

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish


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Shlomi Fish       http://www.shlomifish.org/
Interview with Ben Collins-Sussman - http://shlom.in/sussman

Chuck Norris read the entire English Wikipedia in 24 hours. Twice.