Re: RE-PROPOSED: The Dictator Test
* Branden Robinson:
> On Mon, Jul 12, 2004 at 10:02:25AM +0200, Florian Weimer wrote:
>> I think the Dictator Test itself is highly questionable, and even more
>> its rationale. It's a disguised attack on copyleft in general.
>
> As the proposer of the Dictator Test, I call bullshit.
>
> I'm perfectly happy with the concept of copyleft, and endorse it.
In this case, you should reword the rationale:
| 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.
This is awfully similar to another line of reasoning which basically
claims that the GPL is void because it tries to seize legislative
power from Congress (and quite frankly, it does to some extent).
> I'll thank you to not profess to being able to read my mind when you
> clearly cannot.
Please give us a better rationale for the test, or better, propose a
version of the test that doesn't rule out any licenses that are widely
accepted to be free software licenses.
The GPL fails it for another reason: If I distribute GPLed software
and I'm not its sole author, the GPL prevents me from settling
independently any patent infringement claims concerning the software.
This is clearly a non-copyright restriction imposed by a copyright
license.
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