On Fri, Feb 03, 2006 at 04:49:31PM -0800, David M.Besonen wrote: > >On Fri, Feb 03, 2006 at 02:52:41PM -0800, David M.Besonen wrote: > >> does the gpl (v2 or v3-draft) address the issue of hosted apps? > >> specifically, does the gpl prevent someone from taking code, modifying > >> it, and putting it on a server and charging people to use the app > >> without making the source available? > >GPLv2 does not. The GPLv3 draft attempts to. In my opinion, it does > >not do so in a satisfactory way, causing various practical problems. > >You can find discussions on the list archives, eg. > > http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2006/01/msg00213.html > thanks for the link. i'll read the thread a bit later. > in the meanwhile, how would *you* word language in the gplv3 that > would cover this loophole (that's what i would call it)? > is there a general sense in the debian-legal community that modifying > gpl'd apps and then hosting them without releasing the modified source > is undesirable? Not really, no. Debian has previously found the Affero GPL (a GNU GPL variant with an ASP clause) non-free; I expect that GPLv3 with this option enabled will probably likewise be considered non-free for Debian purposes. The ASP loophole is certainly a real concern that many people have, but trying to close it would mean imposing additional costs on users of Debian for the benefit of people who are *not* directly users of Debian (i.e., the users of the service). I don't think that's a trade I'm willing to make. Also, forced redistribution is in general a slippery slope, and one that the majority of debian-legal contributors seem to be unwilling to step onto. There's just so much code that's "used" in providing a web service, that I don't see how it can stop anywhere but with requiring everyone to provide a complete OS for download, which is just not a reasonable burden for webapp developers to bear. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. vorlon@debian.org http://www.debian.org/
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