Re: PHPNuke license
On Fri, 2003-02-28 at 15:39, Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 28, 2003 at 03:04:10PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:
>
> > Furthermore, a broad interpretation of 2c would be inconsistent with the
> > way most FSF programs actually work. The stuff in GNU coreutils doesn't
> > generally spew a copyright notice and warranty disclaimer to standard
> > output or standard error when these programs are are run for their
> > typical uses; otherwise normal shell sessions would be awash in legal
> > notices and we'd need 100,000 lines of scrollback in our terminals just
> > so we could get some work done.
>
> I also think the PHP-Nuke interpretation is broader than what the GPL
> itself permits. 2c says:
>
> c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
> when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
> interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
> announcement [...]
>
> If a web-based CMS constitutes "interactive use" in any fashion, I would
> argue that this could only be so inasmuch as we consider clicking on links
> within the website to be part of a single interactive session, because
> otherwise you have a number of one-shot calls that are not interactive at
> all. Furthermore, "the most ordinary way" for beginning an interactive
> session is by starting at the index page and drilling down. So as I see
> it, the worst case is that the GPL could require you to display the
> copyright/warranty announcement on the entry page of the web app, but
> nothing more.
This seems reasonable to me.
> The PHP-Nuke author has demanded more than this, however; that's his
> prerogative, but I think this puts PHP-Nuke into the same category as
> pine where the copyright holder's exceptional interpretation has rendered
> an otherwise free license non-free.
Yes, but perhaps he could be convinced to go to the version you propose
above. I would add my voice to that.
--
-Dave Turner Stalk Me: 617 441 0668
"On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters
of principle, stand like a rock." -Thomas Jefferson
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