Terms of use Mathworks file exchange

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

On 4 May 2012 16:15, Muhali <address@hidden> wrote:
>> This is actually not allowed by the Mathworks. They specifically
>> purged the GPL from their servers so they could add further
>> restrictions. They say it's "simpler". Yeah, when the GPL forbids you
>> from forbidding, being able to forbid is "simpler".
>
> but even if it were under some other licence (such as BSD) the clause
> doesn't make sense. I can use code that is under BSD, but as soon as it is
> up on the ML site I can't.

No, that's exactly it. The Mathworks is taking "free" code and adding
restrictions to it, because they are free to do so according to the
BSD terms. They are, in effect, sneaking restrictions behind the
author's original intent. It's deceptive to the authors that upload
code to the Mathworks, because they are not being told up front that
distribution and usage is restricted on that server.

The BSD-like licenses *allow* adding restrictions. So when you obtain
the BSD-licensed code from the Mathworks, you're doing it under the
further restrictions that the Mathworks added to it, as (perhaps
unwittingly) allowed by the original authors of the BSD-licensed code.

- Jordi G. H.