Forwarding with permission of author, who accidentally replied privately.
----- Forwarded message from Juergen Weigert <jw@suse.de> -----
From: Juergen Weigert <jw@suse.de>
To: Branden Robinson <branden@debian.org>
Subject: Re: RE-PROPOSED: The Dictator Test
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 18:05:05 +0200
Message-ID: <20040707160505.GD1170@suse.de>
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-1.5 required=4.0 tests=BAYES_01 autolearn=ham
version=2.63
On Jul 07, 04 05:04:33 -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:
> The Dictator Test:
>
> A licence is not Free if it prohibits actions which, in the absence of
> acceptance of the licence, would be allowed by copyright or other
> applicable laws.
>
> License grantors do not have a private right of legislation; that is,
> they are not dictators who can subject you to their personal jurisdiction
> through a license.
>
> If anyone has an objection, please speak up ASAP.
Hmmm,
may bite back, if law is more permissive than we expected?
For illustration, let me invent the Country of Sillyness.
There copyright law generally permits software vendors
to keep the origin of code as a secret.
(even if it is obvious that GPLed code was used.)
Now, the GPL says that source code must be disclosed.
Would that put the title 'Dictator' on RMS?
cheers,
Jw.
--
o \ Juergen Weigert paint it green!__/ _=======.=======_
<V> | jw@suse.de linux software/ _---|____________\/
\ | 0911 74053-508 creator __/ (____/ /\
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----- End forwarded message -----
--
G. Branden Robinson |
Debian GNU/Linux | If ignorance is bliss,
branden@debian.org | is omniscience hell?
http://people.debian.org/~branden/ |
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