Re: [CORE] GPL Source and Copyright Questions

>>1) Is any John Franks code really in this file?

Possibly, maybe probably. I don't remember the details (9 years is a 
long time!) but almost certainly any code or algorithms were 
specifically for the "inside" or "outside" routines.

>>2) Did John provide a separate license for PostgreSQL to license it under 
>>the BSD license?

Not explicitly that I can recall.

> This code seems to have been inserted by Tom Lockhart on 1997-07-29
> (geo_ops.c rev 1.13).  Tom, any info on the copyright status?

None, beyond the info you already resurrected. I vaguely recall that I 
did take the LJ letter as an invitation to reuse algorithms. I would 
guess that I had possible licensing conflicts in mind so would have 
tried to avoid them, but it would probably be best for someone to 
evaluate that from the current code bases. I may have preserved the 
Franks info for attribution of concepts to a specific person and version.

My (also vague) recollection is that the original Postgres algorithm was 
just broken. I would suggest looking at the code, contacting J. Franks 
if there are questions or a need for license clarification or 
authorization, and finding an alternative algorithm if necessary.

hth
                        - Tom