Re: DFSG-freeness of any license that fixes the ASP loophole
* John Halton:
>> My question that started this thread was whether a simple ASP-fix
>> clause would make a work non-DFSG-free. The licensing terms *I* am
>> presenting for discussion is a Sleepycat+ASP-fix license which I
>> have already outlined on this list.
>
> I suspect any ASP fix is going to run into a problem with para 6 of
> the DFSG, since by its nature any such fix imposes differing
> obligations depending on whether you use the software on a
> publicly-accessible network or "behind the firewall".
I'm not sure if it's actually against the letter or spirit of the DFSG.
But one very appealing aspect of free software is that you can be
totally ignorant of all license issues as long as you don't distribute
the software (particularly in jurisdictions where running a program is
unrestricted once you've obtained a legal copy). Even if I need to link
to some proprietary library to interface to legacy systems, this is my
own business entirely, and nobody cares.
The AGPL has the potential to change that. How do its terms apply if I
use modified AGPL-licensed software to provide a service, without
actually exposing a direct interface to the network? Am I circumventing
the AGPL?
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