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Re: Alternatives to the Affero General Public License



On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:36:50 -0700, "Gregor Richards" <Gregor@codu.org>
said:
> Mark Rafn wrote:
> 
> > I'd like to encourage you to think less along the lines "it's 
> > currently a web server, so the license should cater to that case" and 
> > more like "people should be able to make things out of this that I 
> > haven't thought of, using methodologies yet undreamt". This can't 
> > happen if you're prescribing things like network protocols, output 
> > text, or specific behaviors.
> >
> > If I can't turn it into a random-number service that runs on my phone 
> > over some crazy bluetooth RPC mechanism, it ain't free.
> 
> 
> I've been considering this, and have written a completely different 
> clause, with no mention of computer networks, HTTP, or anything such. It 
> might, however, be more difficult to enforce. I tried to write it in 
> such a way that giving somebody SSH access to your computer does not 
> necessitate providing source for all of your programs under this license 
> ... that was the hardest part, and makes it read a bit kludgely.
> I doubt that it is compliant with the Dissident Problem by your opinions 
> (< plural your), but I think that it's well within line of all of the 
> other requirements, and as an added bonus isn't tied to any particular 
> technology.
> This would not be 2(d), but a new clause between 3 and 4.
> 
> 
> If you provide to a person or persons a means of accessing an 
> interactive interface to the Program which does not include access to 
> the source code, object code or executable, you must also provide to 
> that person or those persons (henceforth called "Indirect Users") access 
> to the complete source code of the Program in one of the following ways:
> a) Cause the Program to provide its source code in said interactive 
> interface upon the request of an Indirect User; or,
> b) Make a means of immediate retrieval of the Program's source code 
> easily visible to all Indirect Users; or,
> c) Provide a written offer, easily visible to all Indirect Users and 
> valid for at least three years, to give to any third party, for a charge 
> no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a 
> complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be 
> distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium 
> customarily used for software interchange.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> - Gregor Richards
> 
> PS: While it would be great for me if I could find some way to get a 
> license with some provision like this considered DFSG free (nothing is 
> impossible! ;) ), I would also like your opinions on whether you think 
> that this would cause any undue harm besides non-DFSG-compliance 
> (unnecessary trouble for innocent users, etc)
> 
> 
> -- 
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Damn ... I just posted the email address that I was hoping not to get
posted on line.  That sender is me, I'm that sender, and damn it, there
is now going to be a link to my email address for all spam bots to read
>_<

/me slaps himself in the head.

 - Gregor Richards
-- 
  Gregor Richards
  grichards@ml1.net

-- 
http://www.fastmail.fm - I mean, what is it about a decent email service?



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