[gecode-users] Important: Licensing information regarding LDS

[Christian Schulte]

Dear all,

We have been informed by one of the patent holders that LDS (limited
discrepancy search) is patented in the United States of America. While this
does not pose an issue per se for us as developers (the MIT license under
which Gecode is released makes that clear), it does to you as users.

After weighing the merits of offering LDS in Gecode with the effort for
obtaining a non-commercial license, we have decided to remove LDS from
Gecode. Gecode 3.4.2 removes LDS.

This decision just reflects our current understanding of how useful LDS is
compared to any effort regarding licensing. 

If you feel strongly about having LDS for Gecode available, we might make it
available as an additional contribution with an explicit statement that it
is patented in the United States of America. The patent holder has informed
me that he is willing to give a non-commercial license to anybody who seeks
one.

Please also take this information into account when using versions of Gecode
before 3.4.2: you need to have a license to use LDS in the United States of
America.

Christian

--
Christian Schulte, web.ict.kth.se/~cschulte/