[erlang-questions] license question

[Matthias Lang]

On Wednesday, November 10, Ryan Zezeski wrote:
> I'm sorry if this is an obvious question but I am very ignorant of how
> licenses work.  

It's not likely that you'll get an authoritative answer on the list,
so here's a guess (with reasoning).

> I want to put an Erlang application on github.  However,
> this particular application would include direct copies of
> error_logger_file_h.erl, error_logger_tty_h.erl, sasl_report_file_h.erl and
> sasl_report_tty_h.erl.  Furthermore, I would add my own modifications to
> these modules as well as rename them by adding a prefix of my app name.
> 
> If I do this I have a few questions:
> 
> 1.  Am I allowed to do this?

Yes. 

I think section 2.1.a of the "Erlang Public License" (included in the
source distribution as "EPLICENCE") gives you the right to do the
above.

> 2. If I am, do I leave the Ericsson copyright in place?  If not, what do I
> put there?

Yes, you must leave the Ericsson copyright in place.

"EXHIBIT A" is the three paragraphs at the bottom of the EPL, which
includes the "Ericsson copyright". Section 3.5 requires you to include
Exhibit A in each source file.

> 3. Does it have to remain under the Erlang Public License?  I honestly don't
> really care what license I put it under but I'm curious.

Yes, the code remains under the EPL.

You are obliged to put (leave) "EXHIBIT A" in the file, and Exhibit A
says "The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public
Licence..."

You have some other obligations, take a look at section 3 of the
licence file.

Matt