[ale] OT - Amazon Software License - comments?

[Michael B. Trausch]

On Mon, 2015-04-06 at 23:56 +0000, Jeff Layton wrote:
> I've been reading the Amazon Software License
> (http://aws.amazon.com/asl/ ) in regard to some software that they
> have published (cfncluster). It's not listed in the open source
> initiative licenses (http://opensource.org/licenses/alphabetical ). My
> poor Googling attempts didn't reveal much except a discussion within
> Apache that indicates ASL is not compatible with the Apache license,
> and a bunch of legal books available on Amazon.
> 
> I'm curious about forking the code or using it as the basis of
> something related. But my license knowledge is pretty poor. Any
> comments are appreciated and I realize that your comments cannot be
> used against you :)  I will also consult an attorney if I choose to go
> down this path.

First, IMHO it reads as limited open-source and certainly not free
software by any reasonable definition.

Sections 3.1–3.3 are key to "not free software":

        § 3.1 says you can reproduce or redistribute the "Work" if it's
        under the same license.
        
        § 3.2 says you can use additional or different terms, but only
        if you preserve the intent and meaning of § 3.3.
        
        And then finally, § 3.3 says this:
        
                The Work and any derivative works thereof only may be
                used or intended for use with the web services,
                computing platforms or applications provided by
                Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, including Amazon Web
                Services, Inc.

Well, that's pretty much it.  Not a license I'd use unless forced to do
so for some reason, and only after ensuring that the client fully
understood its terms.

    — Mike

-- 
Michael B. Trausch <mike at trausch.us>
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