[HN Gopher] Doom Released Under GPLv2
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       Doom Released Under GPLv2
        
       Author : todsacerdoti
       Score  : 179 points
       Date   : 2024-01-17 19:38 UTC (3 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | imbusy111 wrote:
       | Thanks, but I'd rather take the one without the GPLv2 license one
       | commit earlier.
        
         | gostsamo wrote:
         | doesn't it make it a copyrighted material then?
        
           | tremon wrote:
           | GPL'ed material is still copyrighted. You mean only
           | proprietary licensed, I presume?
        
         | umpalumpaaa wrote:
         | Without a license the default copyright law kicks in which
         | means:
         | 
         | "The default copyright laws applies meaning that the autor
         | retains all rights to the source code and no one may reproduce,
         | distribute, or create derivative works from the work."
         | 
         | Good luck
        
           | arsome wrote:
           | Doom code has been opened for a while under the Doom Source
           | License originally.
           | 
           | https://doom.fandom.com/wiki/Doom_Source_License
        
           | ViktorRay wrote:
           | This is wrong in this case. Doom source code has previously
           | been released under other licenses. In such situations in the
           | open source world we can choose which of the licenses we want
           | to follow.
        
             | mort96 wrote:
             | The source code was released first under some custom non-
             | profit license in 1997, then under the GPL in 1999. From
             | what I can tell, those are the only licenses which the DOOM
             | source code has been released under, and I can't even find
             | any info on that non-profit license from 1997 release.
             | 
             | Are you referring to the license from 1997 here..? Or have
             | there been other source code licenses which pages like
             | Wikipedia and the DOOM wiki don't mention?
             | 
             | EDIT: someone else in this thread linked this:
             | https://doom.fandom.com/wiki/Doom_Source_License. And:
             | 
             | > The DSL is significantly more restrictive than the GNU
             | GPL, and as such is incompatible with it. For example, any
             | form of commercial exploitation is forbidden. Heavy
             | restrictions apply to the distribution of copies of the
             | source code; the license grants permission only for the
             | distribution of portions of the code for "educational use".
             | The DSL is not an Open Source license (under the Open
             | Source Definition) or a Free Software license.
             | 
             | Surely that's not a very attractive alternative to the GPL?
        
               | ViktorRay wrote:
               | I agree with you that it doesn't really make much sense
               | for someone to choose to use the DSL license instead of
               | the GPL license. I was just pointing out the general
               | principle that in cases like this one can choose which
               | license one uses.
        
           | tkw01536 wrote:
           | Wouldn't the grant given through section 5 of GitHub TOS [1]
           | apply here?
           | 
           | That says "you grant each User of GitHub a nonexclusive,
           | worldwide license to use, display, and perform Your Content
           | through the GitHub Service and to reproduce Your Content
           | solely on GitHub as permitted through GitHub's
           | functionality".
           | 
           | In other words, without an explicit license you can do
           | whatever you like with publically viewable content as long as
           | it runs via GitHub.
           | 
           | [1] https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/github-
           | terms/github-t...
        
             | Zambyte wrote:
             | > as long as it runs via GitHub.
             | 
             | That is extremely limiting...
        
         | chilmers wrote:
         | Sure, but then you get the original Doom source release
         | license, which is for non-commercial educational use only:
         | 
         | https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM/blob/77735c3ff0772609e9c...
        
         | slacka wrote:
         | So you prefer, the DSL or GPL over GPLv2? The Doom Source
         | License (or DSL) is the original source code license under
         | which the Doom source code was released in late 1997.[1] I'll
         | take this over the years and years the past licensing has
         | caused any day.[2]
         | 
         | [1]https://doom.fandom.com/wiki/Doom_Source_License#:~:text=The
         | ....
         | 
         | [2] https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/44358-doom-license-
         | amp...
        
         | mrighele wrote:
         | AFAIK before the commit Doom was under a more restrictive
         | license [1]
         | 
         | " For educational purposes only, you, the end-user, may use
         | portions of the Source Code, such as particular routines, to
         | develop your own software, but may not duplicate the Source
         | Code, except as noted in paragraph" [...]
         | 
         | " Under no circumstances shall you, the end-user, be permitted,
         | allowed or authorized to commercially exploit the Software.
         | Neither you nor anyone at your direction shall do any of the
         | following acts with regard to the Software, or any portion
         | thereof:                       Rent;                  Sell;
         | Lease;                  Offer on a pay-per-play basis;
         | Distribute for money or any other consideration; or
         | In any other manner and through any medium whatsoever
         | 
         | commercially exploit or use for any commercial purpose."
         | 
         | [1] https://github.com/id-
         | Software/DOOM/commit/4eb368a960647c8cc...
        
         | 533474 wrote:
         | lol is that a bad joke? GPLv2 is better
        
           | imbusy111 wrote:
           | Yeah, missed this one badly.
        
       | AdmiralAsshat wrote:
       | What benefits does this confer, in practice, over the license it
       | already had? The source code has been up there for years. The
       | assets are still proprietary, right?
        
         | vdaea wrote:
         | For example you couldn't rent or sell your fork.
        
           | rightbyte wrote:
           | You can though? But so can any buyer ...
        
             | Zambyte wrote:
             | Nope, that was explicitly under the "Prohibited Uses"
             | section
             | 
             | https://github.com/id-
             | Software/DOOM/blob/77735c3ff0772609e9c...
        
         | doesnt_know wrote:
         | One is that the previous note said for non-profit use which
         | could be interpreted as part of the license terms I suppose?
         | While now it's specifically under the GPL you can sell the
         | source and any modifications.
         | 
         | But as you say the assets are still not covered and there are
         | already more modern engines to play doom under other licenses
         | anyway so...
        
       | kmeisthax wrote:
       | Wait, I'm confused. I thought the source release from iD was
       | always GPLv2? Did they just forget to put a copy of the GPL in
       | the repo?
        
         | notarget137 wrote:
         | Nope. Historically Doom was released by ID software under Doom
         | Source License. Quite different from GPL in general.
        
           | ndiddy wrote:
           | id changed Doom's license to GPL in 1999. Scroll down to
           | October 3 on this page: https://web.archive.org/web/200008180
           | 41410/http://www.doomwo.... I believe the confusion comes
           | from when id uploaded the Doom source to Github, they
           | uploaded an older version with the original license headers
           | rather than the newer GPL version.
        
       | deng wrote:
       | Nothing to see here. The Linux Doom version was re-licensed to
       | GPLv2 in 1999.
        
         | nottorp wrote:
         | When I saw the title I thought they released the source for
         | Doom 3...
        
           | pushedx wrote:
           | Doom 3 source was released more than 10 years ago
           | 
           | https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM-3
           | 
           | As an example of something built with that, you can play Doom
           | 3 in your browser:
           | 
           | https://wasm.continuation-labs.com/d3demo/
        
             | nottorp wrote:
             | Oh thanks! That somehow went past me.
             | 
             | I'll be downloading a native port though.
        
             | metadat wrote:
             | Incredible this can run in the browser on my freaking
             | phone! I remember playing Doom 3 when it came out, and my
             | overclocked, water-cooled beast-mode computer at the time
             | in the early 2000s could just barely do it.
        
               | SketchySeaBeast wrote:
               | Dooms lighting was just next level. I remember realizing
               | I'd need to upgrade from my Radeon 9600 Pro.
        
         | sotillan wrote:
         | Not entirely. As I understand it, that re-licensing occurred
         | when a member of the Doom community emailed John Carmack asking
         | him if he would be willing to release the source under the GPL.
         | He said no problem, but there was never an official source drop
         | with the updated license from Id Software. Carmack's email is
         | all there is, and there's some ambiguity over whether he had
         | the legal right to unilaterally re-license it. This official
         | release puts its GPL status on more solid ground.
        
       | jitl wrote:
       | (1999)
        
       | barge_glider wrote:
       | This Github repo was previously released with this license:
       | 
       | https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM/blob/77735c3ff0772609e9c...
        
       | csdreamer7 wrote:
       | When I first saw this I thought they released Doom 2016. I doubt
       | anyone from Id will be able to comment on if 2016 will see the
       | GPL, but there is no harm in asking. :-)
        
       | ibobev wrote:
       | For a moment I hoped that the source of Doom (2016) is released.
       | :(
        
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       (page generated 2024-01-17 23:01 UTC)