Subject: Re: CCL:Help in Mathematical methods.

From: "Peter Shenkin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 12:07:25 -0500

On Nov 27, 12:24pm, Rick Venable wrote:
> Subject: CCL:Help in Mathematical methods.
 ...
> First, let me highly recommend that you look at the code available at NETLIB;

Yes.

 ...
> It is public domain code, with no restrictions on re-use
 ...

Not!  

Many of the modules, routines and packages contain re-use limitations.
Here's an example from random.c/README.  Though in this case
the contributors place their own code in the public domain, the
package is not usable without the ACM code that they also incorporate.

random.c is far from the only package with such reuse restrictions.
Of the approximately 10 netlib packages I've looked at seriously,
nearly all contains such provisions.  Some indeed do not, but if
this kind of thing is an issue for you, you had better look carefully.

By the way, it's not clear to me whether the re-use restriction
quoted below pertains to selling the source code, selling a product
that incorporates the restricted routines, or both.

--------------------- from random.c/README --------------------------
                              LEGALITIES

Code that appeared  in an    ACM  publication  is subject  to    their
algorithms policy:

     Submittal of  an  algorithm    for publication  in   one of   the  ACM
     Transactions implies that unrestricted use  of the algorithm within  a
     computer is permissible.   General permission  to copy and  distribute
     the algorithm without fee is granted provided that the copies  are not
     made  or   distributed for  direct   commercial  advantage.    The ACM
     copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear,
     and  notice is given that copying  is by permission of the Association
     for Computing Machinery.  To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires
     a fee and/or specific permission.

     Krogh, F.  Algorithms  Policy.  ACM  Tran.   Math.  Softw.   13(1987),
     183-186.

We place the Ranlib code that we have written in the public domain.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------

	-P.

-- 
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* Peter S. Shenkin; Chemistry, Columbia U.; 3000 Broadway, Mail Code 3153 *
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