1141cc406Sopenharmony_ciSat Apr 23 2005 2141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 3141cc406Sopenharmony_ciThis files attempts to clarify the licensing situation for the SANE 4141cc406Sopenharmony_cidistribution. In case of doubt, the copyright information contained 5141cc406Sopenharmony_ciin each file overrides what is said here. 6141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 7141cc406Sopenharmony_ciSANE consists of three parts each of which has its own licensing 8141cc406Sopenharmony_citerms: 9141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 10141cc406Sopenharmony_ci * The frontend programs. 11141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 12141cc406Sopenharmony_ci These programs are generally protected by the GNU General Public 13141cc406Sopenharmony_ci License. (See file COPYING.) 14141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 15141cc406Sopenharmony_ci * The backend libraries. 16141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 17141cc406Sopenharmony_ci Most backend libraries are protected by the GNU General Public License 18141cc406Sopenharmony_ci (see file COPYING), but as an exception, it is permissible to link against 19141cc406Sopenharmony_ci such a library without affecting the licensing status of the program 20141cc406Sopenharmony_ci that uses the libraries. For details, see the copyright notice at the 21141cc406Sopenharmony_ci head of the backend files (e.g., backend/dll.c). 22141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 23141cc406Sopenharmony_ci Note that not all of the backends apply the exception and that some have 24141cc406Sopenharmony_ci additional licensing constraints. E.g., the DC210 backend uses JPG code 25141cc406Sopenharmony_ci that is licensed as described in README.djpeg. 26141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 27141cc406Sopenharmony_ci * The SANE API and network protocol as put forth in the standard document. 28141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 29141cc406Sopenharmony_ci The standard is considered to be in the public domain. Anyone is free 30141cc406Sopenharmony_ci to implement SANE interface conforming applications or libraries in 31141cc406Sopenharmony_ci any way he or she sees fit. 32141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 33141cc406Sopenharmony_ci The standard is maintained at https://gitlab.com/sane-project/standard 34141cc406Sopenharmony_ci and published at https://sane-project.gitlab.io/standard/. 35141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 36141cc406Sopenharmony_ciFrequently Asked Questions about the SANE licensing: 37141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 38141cc406Sopenharmony_ci * Why don't you use the GNU LPGL ? 39141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 40141cc406Sopenharmony_ci The reason SANE isn't licensed under the GNU LGPL is very simple: the 41141cc406Sopenharmony_ci GNU LGPL didn't exist at the time SANE was first released. So, the SANE 42141cc406Sopenharmony_ci Exception was added to the GNU GPL. 43141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 44141cc406Sopenharmony_ci * Why don't you relicense SANE, now that the GNU LGPL is available ? 45141cc406Sopenharmony_ci 46141cc406Sopenharmony_ci To relicense the various pieces of code composing SANE, each and every 47141cc406Sopenharmony_ci copyright holder needs to agree with the relicensing. Unfortunately, some 48141cc406Sopenharmony_ci of the (original) backend authors cannot be contacted any longer, for 49141cc406Sopenharmony_ci various reasons; not to mention each and every contributor who sent in a 50141cc406Sopenharmony_ci patch. This effectively makes it impossible for the SANE Project to 51141cc406Sopenharmony_ci relicense SANE. 52