Hi List,
I am involved in a US-Cuba scientific cooperation program, one aspect of which involves geospatial sorts of technologies. Due to the embargo on Cuba, our counterparts cannot seem to acquire any US-based GIS technologies as they represent a possible security risk.
Does anyone have any experience with Cuban GIS folks, and if so how did they get their software? Does the GNU-GPL circumvent this possible liability at all? Does acquisition of GRASS from a non-US source avoid liability? I am ready to recommend that our counterparts simply acquire GRASS via one of the non-US mirror sites, but am not sure if that is a legitimate approach.
Any thoughts? Any advice?
Thanks,
Lars Bromley
Technical Specialist
American Association for the Advancement of Science
1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
ph: (202)326-6495
On Tue, Dec 19, 2000 at 05:06:42PM -0500, Lars Bromley wrote:
Hi List,
I am involved in a US-Cuba scientific cooperation program, one aspect
of which involves geospatial sorts of technologies. Due to the embargo
on Cuba, our counterparts cannot seem to acquire any US-based GIS
technologies as they represent a possible security risk.
Does anyone have any experience with Cuban GIS folks, and if so how
did they get their software? Does the GNU-GPL circumvent this possible
liability at all? Does acquisition of GRASS from a non-US source avoid
liability? I am ready to recommend that our counterparts simply
acquire GRASS via one of the non-US mirror sites, but am not sure if
that is a legitimate approach.
Any thoughts? Any advice?
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer.
1. GPL has nothing to say about US foreign policy matters. In fact,
some countries may not recognize it as a legitimate license.
2. GRASS was released into the PUBLIC DOMAIN, but current work proceeds
under GPL.
3. US Gov't really has little control (if any) over the distribution
of source code from a foreign country.
4. The current development tree is hosted on a computer in Germany.
Draw your own conclusions.
--
Eric G. Miller <egm2@jps.net>
On Tue, Dec 19, 2000 at 05:06:42PM -0500, Lars Bromley wrote:
Hi List,
I am involved in a US-Cuba scientific cooperation program, one
aspect of which involves geospatial sorts of technologies. Due to the
embargo on Cuba, our counterparts cannot seem to acquire any US-based GIS
technologies as they represent a possible security risk.
Does anyone have any experience with Cuban GIS folks, and if so how did
they get their software? Does the GNU-GPL circumvent this possible
liability at all? Does acquisition of GRASS from a non-US source avoid
liability? I am ready to recommend that our counterparts simply acquire
GRASS via one of the non-US mirror sites, but am not sure if that is a
legitimate approach.
Any thoughts? Any advice?
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer (like Eric)
I don't see any problems why GRASS shouldn't be used in Cuba (perhaps some
people already use it). As a worldwide team support GRASS and GRASS can
be downloaded from non-U.S. countries (the development server is in
Germany), downloading shouldn't affect U.S. laws (please see disclaimer).
Maybe they just order a CDROM here (see "Aqcuire GRASS" page) or download it?
The GPL shouldn't affect this "problem" at all.
Just recommendations,
Markus Neteler
There is no problem with GPL and Cuba. Feel free to download
and use!
Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: "Markus Neteler" <neteler@geog.uni-hannover.de>
To: "Lars Bromley" <lbromley@aaas.org>
Cc: <GRASSLIST@baylor.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 3:59 AM
Subject: [GRASSLIST:1311] Re: GNU - GPL and Cuba
On Tue, Dec 19, 2000 at 05:06:42PM -0500, Lars Bromley wrote:
> Hi List,
> I am involved in a US-Cuba scientific cooperation program, one
> aspect of which involves geospatial sorts of technologies. Due to the
> embargo on Cuba, our counterparts cannot seem to acquire any US-based
GIS
> technologies as they represent a possible security risk.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with Cuban GIS folks, and if so how did
> they get their software? Does the GNU-GPL circumvent this possible
> liability at all? Does acquisition of GRASS from a non-US source avoid
> liability? I am ready to recommend that our counterparts simply acquire
> GRASS via one of the non-US mirror sites, but am not sure if that is a
> legitimate approach.
>
> Any thoughts? Any advice?
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer (like Eric)
I don't see any problems why GRASS shouldn't be used in Cuba (perhaps some
people already use it). As a worldwide team support GRASS and GRASS can
be downloaded from non-U.S. countries (the development server is in
Germany), downloading shouldn't affect U.S. laws (please see disclaimer).
Maybe they just order a CDROM here (see "Aqcuire GRASS" page) or download
it?
The GPL shouldn't affect this "problem" at all.
Just recommendations,
Markus Neteler