Is it legal to rebuild Python.exe to include Version property tab?

Sebastian "lunar" Wiesner basti.wiesner at gmx.net
Tue Jul 15 13:46:09 EDT 2008


ward.david at comcast.net <ward.david at comcast.net>:

> My company distributes a COM object that can be license and userd by
> our customers. Some of my company's internal application also use the
> COM object. However, for internal applications, instead of licensing
> the COM object, we just make the application registered as "friendly".
> We accomplish this be including various information in the "version"
> property tab of the calling EXE.
> 
> In my case, the calling EXE is Python.exe. So, my question is, can we
> rebuild Python.exe to include the various "version" information? Is
> this allowed under the Python licensing agreement?

Though being not a lawyer, I'd say "yes".  Afair version metadata for
windows executables is passed as compiler options, so you wouldn't even
have to change the sources.

Paragraph 2 of the PSF (the python license) grants you an explicit right
to "reproduce, [...], prepare derivative works (and) distribute" Python,
and there's no other paragraph saying "don't touch version information".

Still, not sure paragraph 3 would affect distributors:

"In the event Licensee prepares a derivative work that is based on
or incorporates Python or any part thereof, and wants to make
the derivative work available to others as provided herein, then
Licensee hereby agrees to include in any such work a brief summary of
the changes made to Python."

Looks like you have to add a document describing your changes to the
modified distribution, but that shouldn't be showstopper ;)

-- 
Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.
                                      (Rosa Luxemburg)



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