Editing Gaussian (software) (section)

==License controversy==
In the past, Gaussian, Inc. has attracted controversy for its licensing terms that stipulate that researchers who develop competing software packages are not permitted to use the software. Some scientists consider these terms overly restrictive. The anonymous group ''bannedbygaussian.org''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bannedbygaussian.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810083536/http://bannedbygaussian.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-08-10 |title=Banned By Gaussian}}</ref> has published a list of scientists whom it claims are not permitted to use GAUSSIAN software. These assertions were repeated by Jim Giles in 2004 in ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]''.<ref>
{{cite journal
 |author=Jim Giles
 |year=2004
 |journal=Nature
 |title=Software company bans competitive users
 |volume=429 |issue=6989 |page=231
 |bibcode= 2004Natur.429..231G
 |doi=10.1038/429231a
 |pmid=15152213
|doi-access=free
 }}</ref> The controversy was also noted in 1999 by ''[[Chemical and Engineering News]]''<ref>
{{cite journal
 |year=2004
 |journal=Chemical and Engineering News
 |title=Grumblings about Gaussian
 |url=http://pubs.acs.org/isubscribe/journals/cen/82/i10/html/8210scic.html#Anchor-44867
 |volume=82 |issue=10 |page=29
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
|title=Quantum Chemistry Uproar
|journal=Chemical and Engineering News
|volume=77 |issue=36 |pages=27–30
|doi=10.1021/cen-v077n036.p027
|year=1999
}}</ref> (repeated without additional content in 2004), and in 2000, the [[World Association of Theoretically Oriented Chemists]] Scientific Board held a referendum of its executive board members on this issue with a majority (23 of 28) approving the resolution opposing the restrictive licenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/watoc/resolution.html |title=WATOC discussion on Computational Software}}</ref>

Gaussian, Inc. disputes the accuracy of these descriptions of its policy and actions,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gaussian.com/silly |title= Comments on the "Banned by Gaussian" Website}}</ref> noting that all of the listed institutions do in fact have licenses for everyone but directly competing researchers. They also claim that not licensing competitors is standard practice in the software industry and members of the Gaussian collaboration community have been refused licenses from competing institutions.