Re: GPL compatibility of DFCL
On Fri, Jun 14, 2002 at 03:33:38PM -0500, Steve Langasek wrote:
> The proposed DFCL, if it falls within this outer fence of the GPL
> commons, is the only license that imposes restrictions on licensees
> when used in the wild that the GPL itself does not.
If it's legitimate, it's definitely not something I'd like to see
encouraged or used.
When people see a GPL'd work, they expect to be able to do anything the
GPL allows to any subsection of it, including pull it out, print it and
sell it with no extra license information but the GPL. If that's not
always the case, it should be; and if there's a way to break that
assumption, I wouldn't like to see it used. (Rather, as I think you
suggested, it should be considered a bug in the GPL.)
> > The intent is to lift the endorsement clause restriction only in the
> > context of combination with a GPLed work, not for the whole world.
>
> So the endorsements don't go away when the document is incorporated into
> a GPLed work and come back when it's taken out of that work, they're
> merely moved around within the work. Well, I'm not sure if this is
> better or not, though I'm inclined to believe that it should be. I
> think with this latest clarification, I've reached the end of what my
> layman's understanding allows me to form an opinion on.
Not the endorsements; the endorsements clause.
I don't have a problem with an endorsements clause (or, as seems to be more
important here, the "lack of endorsement" clause). I'd have a problem with
content that, when pulled out of a GPL'd work, would suddenly have additional
restrictions over those of the GPL, like needing to restore a different
license.
I'd imagine a similar trick could be used with less well-intentioned licenses.
I'd like to be able to assume that, if the GPL is properly applied (in theory,
if it's in main) then I can use any portion of it under the GPL and nothing
strange happens when I pull it apart.
This is the first time I've seen anything like this suggested; perhaps
someone should ask the FSF their stance on it?
--
Glenn Maynard
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: