Re: Is AGPLv3 DFSG-free?

["Miriam Ruiz" <miriam@debian.org>]

2008/8/16 Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org>:
> OoO En  cette fin de  nuit blanche du  samedi 16 août 2008,  vers 06:47,
> "Miriam Ruiz" <miriam@debian.org> disait :
>
>> Do you think AGPLv3 is DFSG-free?
>
> Hi Miriam!
>
> Some discussions have  already taken place here. The  outcome was AGPLv3
> was  not DFSG  free, but  it wasn't  really a  sharp statement.  See for
> example:
>  http://www.mail-archive.com/debian-legal@lists.debian.org/msg38650.html
>
> Since I was not convinced, I  was planning to upload clipperz, an AGPLv3
> licensed password manager and let ftp-masters decide if AGPLv3 is OK for
> Debian. Unfortunately,  there is  another licensing problem  (GPLv2 only
> files) with  it and  I did  not upload it.  I am  not aware  of software
> already in Debian and licensed with AGPLv3.

Hi Vincent, thanks a lot for your reply.

Francesco Poli enumerates 2 concerns about the license [1], which
remain unchanged:
* There is not a clear definition of what a remote user is.
* There is a use restriction, that may be associated with a significant cost.

[1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2007/09/msg00032.html

2008/8/16 Miriam Ruiz <miriam@debian.org>:
> Notwithstanding any other provision of this License, if you modify the
> Program, your modified version must prominently offer all users
> interacting with it remotely through a computer network (if your
> version supports such interaction) an opportunity to receive the
> Corresponding Source of your version by providing access to the
> Corresponding Source from a network server at no charge, through some
> standard or customary means of facilitating copying of software. This
> Corresponding Source shall include the Corresponding Source for any
> work covered by version 3 of the GNU General Public License that is
> incorporated pursuant to the following paragraph.

I think that the key element for me is what can be considered a user
of a program. PySoy is a Python module that can (or will be able to)
be used both in a game run locally, and in a game run remotely by
using a Firefox plugin to connect to it. My main concern is about the
ways in which AGPL might affect the locally run programs that connect
to other people through a network. If I develop a 3D Jabber client
using this library, for example, and I chat with other people using
other Jabber clients, must I "prominently offer all users interacting
with it remotely through a computer network [...] an opportunity to
receive the Corresponding Source..."?

Greetings,
Miry