License question

stampson · May 8, 2005, 11:51am

Any modifications which You create or which You contribute to the
Software are governed by these terms and the License. The source code
version of the Software may be distributed only under these terms and
the License or a future version of the License released by Licensor,
and You must include a copy of these terms with every copy of the
source code or Software that You distribute. You may not offer or
impose any terms on any source code version that alters or restricts
the applicable version of these terms or the License. In addition,
You must identify Yourself as the originator of the modifications or
contributions You made to the Software, if any, in a manner that
reasonably allows subsequent recipients to identify You as the
originator of the modifications or contributions. Further You must
cause the Software to contain a file documenting the changes You made
to create the modifications and the date of any change. You must
include a prominent statement describing the modifications made to the
Software. An electronic copy of the source code for all modifications
made to the Software are to be forwarded to Licensor at
panda3d-owner@yahoogroups.com within 90 days of the date of the
modifications.

This section of the license, does it mean that if I have a closed-source project, and I change the Panda3d code itself, I must release my modifications? Or is it simply governing aspects of how I must document my modifications, IF I release the source to my project that includes modified Panda3d source?

drwr · May 8, 2005, 1:25pm

This is just addressing distribution of your changes. If you make changes and keep them to yourself, that’s fine.

This clause is one of the weird ones that we’d like to rewrite in the next revision of the license to make things a little clearer (and to remove the strange requirement to send your stuff to us on one particular email address). But the wheels of Disney Legal turn very slowly. . . .

David