[exim] Fw: Exim, GPL, and IPR

All (especially Philip)

Not sure if this has hit the radar - the IETF MARID group (which is the
group whose remit is to sort out which if any of Sender ID and its cousins
gets ratified) is discussing the effect of the royalty-free license that
Microsof is offering for the IPR it holds in the Sender ID proposal.

It has been mooted that the said license is incompatible with the GPL, and
Exim is being held up as an example of an MTA which wouldn't be able to
incorporate the technology.

I offer no opinions here.....

Peter

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Peuhkurinen" <kevin.peuhkurinen@???>
To: "IETF MARID WG" <ietf-mxcomp@???>
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 6:05 PM
Subject: Exim, GPL, and IPR



I submit, for your consideration, the following:

The Microsoft IPR license is incompatible with the GPL. This is not
disputed by Microsoft and has been attested to by Eben Moglen. This
means that GPL'ed software will not be able to include Sender-ID code.
Exim is software that is released under the GPL. So how important is Exim?

A quick search reveals that, among many many others, the following ISPs
use Exim:

earthlink.net, inter.net, csolve.net, parasun.net
look.ca, global.net.uk, xmission.net
demon.net, shore.net, pol.co.uk
t-online.net, freenet.de, uk2.net
direct.ca, kundenserver.de, powercom.net
psi.net, atlantech.net , net4india.com
uksolutions.net, zen.co.uk, liquenox.net
blueyonder.net, rcn.net, mec.net

Also, among many others, the following educational facilities use Exim:

Youngstown State University, Imperial College London, University of
Central Florida
Cambridge University, Loughborough University, MIT
Cranfield University, University of Bath, Harvard University
University of Manchester, Oxford University, University of Texas
University of Utah, University of East Anglia, University of Hawai‘i
University College London, University of Essex, University of Houston
University of Sheffield, Lander University, California State University,
University of California, University of Northern Iowa, University of Toronto
University of Oregon, University of Illinois, Florida State University


As Sender-ID relies on rapid adoption, and there are so many major ISPs
and Universities that will not be able to adopt it without changing
their MTA, I just don't see how anyone could endorse Sender-ID. The GPL
issue is going to hamstring widespread adoption.

Kevin