--- Forwarded Message from Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:13:36 -0600
>Subject: Re: #9510.14 Voice Recording Software
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>

The first paragraph of text under the first heading, "License", is clear and unequivocal.  
  It says, in full:

"Audacity is free software. You may use it for any personal, commercial or educational  
purpose, including installing it on as many different computers as you wish."

<http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/license>

I don't think there can be any doubt about the license, or its intent, as covering  
use in the language labs, as we are discussing.

Perhaps it's odd that the case of installing the unmodified program on multiple  
computers isn't clearly treated AGAIN in the FAQs.  However, after reading page  
after page of them, I find nothing that contradicts the clearly expressed terms  
of the License quoted above.  The verbose and detailed FAQs make it clear that  
the goal of the license is to allow Audacity, and similarly licensed software,  
to be installed in as many computers as anyone desires.  The pages and pages of  
discussion all focus on keeping access open and free, rather than restricting  
it.

The sections that Judy quotes are from the "Advice for Vendors and Distributors",  
which is separate from the License, in its own section, although it is on the  
same page, linked above.  That page is titled, "License, and Advice for Vendors  
and Distributors".

We are neither distributors nor vendors.  We are "educational purpose" users of  
Audacity, and we are given explicit rights by the license, "including installing  
it on as many different computers as you wish."

The second of two paragraphs of the license begins, "You may also copy, distribute,  
modify, and/or resell Audacity, under the terms of the GNU General Public License  
(GPL)..."  Note the word "also", which is adding rights to those granted in the  
first paragraph.  Those additional rights have requirements, dedicated to keeping  
software free and open.

The GNU General Public License (GPL) was created to support free and open software,  
with Education as a major constituency.  Using software with this licensing in  
a university setting, as we are discussing, is not only legal, it is one of the  
goals of the licensing.

Derek

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