Re: DFSG-freeness of Apache Software Licenses
On Thu, Nov 13, 2003 at 07:57:14PM -0800, Don Armstrong wrote:
> To clarify: GPL #4 in itself isn't a useage restriction because the
> GPL doesn't concern itself with useage at all, only copying,
> modifying, and distributing.
>
> What I was attempting to verbalize (rather badly) is that software
> licenses should never restrict useage.
The GPL says "if you violate this license, this license is revoked".
The proposed license says (roughly) "if you sue us, this license is
revoked". How is one a use restriction and the other not?
I'm not arguing for the license termination terms--I'm undecided about
that--this just feels like the wrong line of reasoning.
> Furthermore, they should only
> restrict modification, copying, and distribution when it serves a
> clear and present goal of improving the freedom of software itself.
It's easy to argue that the patent-related terms here do that (or might
with improved phrasing). It's difficult to say whether it outweighs
the restrictions, since the side-effects of the restrictions aren't
obvious to me.
--
Glenn Maynard
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