FreeTDS Development Group

[Brian Bruns <camber AT umcc.ais.org>]

The license that you must accept to get the spec does not seem to be
compatible with source-code distribution. 

Specifically section 2.1 states:

(i) You will not market, distribute or otherwise make available any
    product or mechanism (including TDS Source Code) which would enable
    the TDS Protocol to be used in the development of, or in conjunction
    with, any software program or product other than a TDS Product (as
    defined above), and 

This violates the LGPL clauses on redistribution and modification. I can
not prevent the licensee of freetds under the LGPL from doing such a thing
and am definately 'enabling' it.

(ii) your TDS Product(s) will not implement a protocol that is competitive
     with, or a substitute, for the TDS Protocol.

TDS Protocol is defined above as version 5.0 exculsively.  Therefore it
would be against this license to implement both TDS 5.0 and TDS 7.0
(Microsoft) in the same library, a thing which freetds already does.

Here is the revelent section:

1.3 "TDS Protocol" means version 5.0 of Sybase's proprietary tabular data  
    stream protocol which governs the transmission of data to and from
    the Sybase Programs as described in the TDS Specification.

The other major problem is section 8.1, which is a boilerplate NDA clause.
Again, the question comes up, is source code considered 'disclosure'? Most
people seem to feel it does (a very common point of contention between
linux device driver writers and hardware vendors, for example). The only
good point here is that specifically protects works done prior to NDA and
works developed without accessing the spec.  How one is suppose to prove
they did not use the spec, I don't know.

Now, I AM NOT A LAWYER.  This is my (possibly incorrect) reading of this
document. I'm not sure if a EULA (end user license agreement) is even
valid signed anonymously over the web like this. I can only assume Sybases
lawyers feel it is, which is why it is there in the first place.

On the upside the spec is accessible directly from
http://www.sybase.com/products/tds/tds33.pdf without agreeing to the EULA.
I would encourage anyone who is concerned about becoming 'tainted' to use
the direct link and bypass the EULA.  I myself have downloaded it (using
the direct link), but have not viewed the contents until I am certain
whether or not I am still bound by the conditions of the EULA.  Is there a
lawyer in the house?

Thank you Steve for pushing this through, and I am really sorry to see
that OpenClient was not able to be open sourced. If we could keep the
lawyers out of things the world would be a great place.

Cheers,

Brian

On Tue, 14 Sep 1999, Steve Olson wrote:

> Hello, Ryan,
> 
> Just today, the changes to our web site were completed, and you can now go 
> to:
> 
> http://www.sybase.com/products/download.html
> 
> to download the TDS spec.  It is a .pdf file of approx. 1.2 MB.  We are 
> asking for a little contact information, so we know who the spec has been 
> downloaded to, but other than that, it's a straightforward process.
> 
> In terms of the source code, the proposal from engineering to open-source 
> the code for open client, dblib, and jconnect was nixed by those who look 
> at things from a revenue perspective, so that doesn't look like it's going 
> to happen.
> 
> Regards,
> Steve
> 
> Ryan Russell wrote:
> 
> > What's the latest on this?
> >
> >                     Ryan
> >
> > ---------------------- Forwarded by Ryan Russell/SYBASE on 09/14/99 01:41 
> > PM
> > ---------------------------
> >
> > Ryan Russell
> > 04/07/99 05:17 PM
> >
> > To:   Steve Olson/SYBASE@SybaseNotes
> > cc:
> > Subject:  Re: [freetds] Sybase TDS Specification and Open Source for 
> > ctlib,
> >       dblib, jconnect, etc.  (Document link not converted)
> >
> > Good work.
> >
> > Am I reading that right?  Open source for all of ctlib, dblib, and 
> > jconnect?
> >
> > Of course.. I don't know exactly what comprises OpenClient, so
> > I may be asking a dumb question..
> >
> >                          Ryan
> >
> > Steve Olson <olson AT sybase.com> on 04/07/99 03:55:33 PM
> >
> > Please respond to "TDS Development Group" <freetds AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> >
> > To:   "TDS Development Group" <freetds AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> > cc:    (bcc: Ryan Russell/SYBASE)
> > Subject:  [freetds] Sybase TDS Specification and Open Source for ctlib, 
> > dblib,
> >       jconnect, etc.
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > Sybase laywers have finally approved the public distribution of the TDS
> > specification.  The document and open client source code will soon 
> > (withih a
> > couple of months) be made available for free download via the Sybase web 
> > site.
> > This will likely coincide with the availability of ASE 11.9.2 for Linux,
> > estimated in June.
> >
> > We can provide you (FreeTDS) with an early version of the TDS spec, if you
> > (Brian?) are willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.  While it is 
> > written in
> > intimidating legalese, the essence of it is to ask you to keep the 
> > information
> > to yourself until a public announcement can be made.
> >
> > If you are interested, let me know, and I will send you a copy of the 
> > NDA.  You
> > can sign it, fax it back to me, and I will then forward the TDS spec to 
> > you.  Is
> > Postscript OK?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Steve Olson
> >
> > phone: (603)230-7101
> > fax: (603)230-7199
> > email: olson AT sybase.com
> >
> > ---
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> >
> > Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:55:33 -0400
> > From: Steve Olson <olson AT sybase.com>
> > Organization: Sybase Engineering
> > Mime-Version: 1.0
> > To: "TDS Development Group" <freetds AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> > Subject: [freetds] Sybase TDS Specification and Open Source for ctlib, 
> > dblib,
> > jconnect, etc.
> > References:
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> >
> > Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:55:33 -0400
> > From: Steve Olson <olson AT sybase.com>
> > Organization: Sybase Engineering
> > Mime-Version: 1.0
> > To: "TDS Development Group" <freetds AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> > Subject: [freetds] Sybase TDS Specification and Open Source for ctlib, 
> > dblib,
> > jconnect, etc.
> > References:
> > <LYR79556-2410-1999.04.07-18.35.06--olson#sybase.com AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
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