Re: python-2.1 for unstable?

[Gregor Hoffleit <gregor@hoffleit.de>]

On Thu, May 24, 2001 at 01:02:29PM +0200, Florian Weimer wrote:
> Gregor Hoffleit <gregor@hoffleit.de> writes:
> 
> > I talked to RMS, Eben Moglen and GvR. The bad news: According to RMS+Moglen,
> > the license used in Python 2.1 still is not yet compatible with the GPL. The
> > good news: The PSF decided to drop the choice of law clause. A modified
> > license is in CVS, and, according to Guido, will be used for the maintenance
> > releases 2.0.1 and 2.1.1. The bright news: Moglen himself told me that the
> > license text in CVS is compatible with the GPL.
> 
> This is probably correct, but it is completely irrelevant in our case.
> Some parts of Python 2.1 are still covered by the GPL-incompatible
> CNRI license, so Python 2.1 as a whole is not GPL compatible.

I'm glad to correct you, but according to Guido and Eben, that's not the
case. The only remaining problem with the CNRI license was the choice-of-law
clause. Apparently Eben said to Guido that for GPL compatibility only the
choice-of-law in the topmost license on the stack matters, and that's the
PSF license. I'm no lawyer, so don't ask me why.

I have sent the file python/dist/src/LICENSE from CVS to Eben Moglen (which
contains the complete stack of licenses), and he replied:

    "Yes, you can say that I have advised you that if this is the license
    for Python 2.1.1 it would be a GPL-compatible release."


    Eben Moglen is the legal advisor of the FSF, so I think we could take his
word for granted:


If Python 2.1.1 will be released under the license currently in CVS, then it
will be compatible with the GPL, according to the judgement of the FSF.


    Gregor