[Koha] Liblime, Koha, BibLibre and FLOSS

[MJ Ray]

Nicolas Morin <nicolas.morin at biblibre.com>
> [...] we at BibLibre
> posted an article on our web site about this issue:
> http://www.biblibre.com/content/liblime-koha-biblibre-and-floss

Amongst other things, that says:

  "BibLibre decided we needed to modify our standard hosting contract
  to close the GPL loophole used by LibLime: in our future contracts,
  and when the current contracts are renewed, an extra article is
  added to the contract which specifies that even though the software
  is hosted, the library has access to the source code, GPLed."

I'm surprised because software.coop's usual contract terms have said
that we "grant permission to the Buyer to use, copy, modify, adapt or
enhance the material supplied in the performance of the Services, so
far as [the co-op] is permitted to grant that permission" since at
least 2006 and probably before (I'd need to check paper files to be
sure).

For Koha, that means you get a copy under the GPL, basically.

What with all the flaming of LibLime for hosting lock-in, I didn't
expect that other Koha vendors weren't making at least that promise
already.  So - would the other vendors like to state their current
contract permissions?  Anyone else want to follow the co-op and
BibLibre and make this promise to your buyers?

Also, I'd like to know whether anyone else's hosting-source-access
clause forbids evil tricks like public key encryption?  Offering
access alone isn't sufficient.  Also, what about the data?

Thanks,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef)  Webmaster and LMS developer at     | software
www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk        |  .... co
IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html |  .... op