GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) Version 3

Description: OpenSS7 License GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) Version 3.

OpenSS7 software licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) Version 3 can also be licensed under OpenSS7 Commercial License. Software that is licensed under the AGPL3 includes all OpenSS7 software (modules, drivers, libraries, headers) with the exception of:

• OpenSS7 test programs (proprietary license only)

OpenSS7 provides an AGPL Version 3 Public License on this code for several reasons (some more noble, some less noble):

1. Most OpenSS7 software corresponds to operating system facilities and network protocol stacks and applications that heretofore have never been released as open source. This is primarily due to the fact that OpenSS7 facilities and protocol stacks have use within mostly a narrow range of industries (Telecom, Aviation, Finance, Military). As such there is a high likelihood that the open source nature of the software will be abused by commercial ventures that will free-ride on the software rather than contributing back to the community. It is our view that the AGPL3 license better clarifies the obligations of commercial ventures and all users or distributors of the software.

   The AGPL3 best ensure the investment of the community and industry into the software for future prosperity. (This is the more noble reason.)

2. Most OpenSS7 software is network-related software. The purpose of this network related software is highly interactive services provided largely to the public. It is our view that if a service bureau modifies the software and then provides it for public use that the modifications must be contributed back to the open source project unless the provider wishes to fund the open source project by taking a commercial license.

   Providing a separate commercial license permits commercial ventures that would otherwise be unable to use the software under AGPL3 terms to exchange funding the open source project for subverting its community and industry goals. (This is the less noble reason.)

Our interpretation of the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3 is a follows:

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OpenSS7 provides most of its products under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) Version 3 as provided in the listing below, or under separate OpenSS7 Commercial License. This model permits users to freely distribute and use OpenSS7 stacks under FOSS terms, but restricts combining the OpenSS7 stacks with proprietary software, or modifying the source without providing the modified source to users of a network, unless commercially licensed. Providing a commercial license in addition to the GNU Affero General Public License provides the OpenSS7 project with a source of funding to continue development, maintenance and support. In some cases, OpenSS7 provides software previously distributed under GPL2+, LGPL2+ or LGPL3 under the newer GPL3; however, OpenSS7 components or modifications to those package are still distributed under the AGPL3 (which is compatible with GPL3).

When a piece of OpenSS7 source code is licensed under the AGPL, you will see a Copyright Notice such as the following listing:

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/*****************************************************************************

 @(#) $RCSfile$ $Name$($Revision$) $Date$

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 Copyright (c) 2001-2008  OpenSS7 Corporation <http://www.openss7.com/>
 Copyright (c) 1997-2000  Brian F. G. Bidulock <bidulock@openss7.org>

 All Rights Reserved.

 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free
 Software Foundation, version 3 of the license.

 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
 FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Affero General Public License for more
 details.

 You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>, or
 write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
 02139, USA.

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 U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS.  If you are licensing this Software on
 behalf of the U.S. Government ("Government"), the following provisions apply
 to you.  If the Software is supplied by the Department of Defense ("DoD"), it
 is classified as "Commercial Computer Software" under paragraph 252.227-7014
 of the DoD Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulations ("DFARS") (or any
 successor regulations) and the Government is acquiring only the license rights
 granted herein (the license rights customarily provided to non-Government
 users).  If the Software is supplied to any unit or agency of the Government
 other than DoD, it is classified as "Restricted Computer Software" and the
 Government's rights in the Software are defined in paragraph 52.227-19 of the
 Federal Acquisition Regulations ("FAR") (or any successor regulations) or, in
 the cases of NASA, in paragraph 18.52.227-86 of the NASA Supplement to the FAR
 (or any successor regulations).

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 Commercial licensing and support of this software is available from OpenSS7
 Corporation at a fee.  See http://www.openss7.com/

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 Last Modified $Date$ by $Author$

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 $Log$
 *****************************************************************************/

#ident "@(#) $RCSfile$ $Name$($Revision$) $Date$"

static char const ident[] = "$RCSfile$ $Name$($Revision$) $Date$";

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Following is a verbatim copy of the AGPL Version 3: