Notes on a license how-to

[Alejandro Forero Cuervo]

      I got to thinking some about the license how-to thing. I *do* believe
      that a guide to selecting licenses *would* be useful.

I was planning on writing that document.  The following is the table of
contents I thought it should have, as I wrote it two days ago:

1 Introduction
    Just stating the reasons for writing the HOWTO and some other metainfo.
    Stating that the author personally preffers to use GPL but tried to
    be completely unbiased and objective in this document.

2 What is free software?
    This section attempts to define free software. Being gratis and being
    free are different things.  The typical stuff.

2.1 Debian Free Software Guidelines
    Just a short mention of DFSG.  Links provided to Debian's web site.

2.2 Open Source Initiative
    Explaining that Open Source and free software are the very same thing,
    and telling the motivations and history behind OSI.  Links to OSI's site.

2.3 Free Software Foundation
    Covering the FSF and explaining their views and motivations.  Links to
    FSF's site.

2.4 Freeware and Public Domain software
    Mentioning how being freeware and public domain is not the same as being
    free.

2.5 Why Free Software?
    Just a short section explaining both the ethical and practical reasons
    why free software is superior.  Links to The Cathedral and the Bazaar,
    The Magic Cauldron and similar essays (send me suggestions).

3   Free Software Licenses
    This section attempts to explain popular licenses.  It also provides
    examples of the most popular programs that use a given license.

3.1 GNU General Public License
    Explains the GPL.  After that, mentions common arguments used against
    it: linking with non GPL software, is it really freedom, it is a virus,
    it does not define derivative works clearly (or: will it hold in court?).

3.3 BSDish licenses
    Explaining them.  Mentioning the problems with the advertising clauses
    and the usual `anyone can fork and go propietary' problem.

3.4 Other licenses
    Covering briefly the Perl Artistic License.  What other licenses should
    we include?

4   Comercial free software
    A common topic of discussion.  Using/developing/supporting free software
    for monetary gain.  Also mentioning cases and the licenses used when
    free software has been used comercially.  What other Licenses should we
    conver?

4.1 Netscape Public License
    Explaining their license and problems with it.

4.2 Apple Public Source License
    Same as 4.1 for Apple's case.

4.3 Comercial software around the GPL
    Mentioning the classical cases such a Linux distributions or Cygnus.

5.  Practical considerations
    Just some suggestions for people choosing licenses. The conclusions of
    the HOWTO. What else would you add here?

5.1 Problems with the GPL
    Just a short note so people avoid problems with it. This could mention
    the situation with KDE.

5.2 Don't create your own license
    Just asking people to try to use an already existing license instead of
    creating their own.

That is it. Did I leave any important things out?

     * "Ranking": popularity in terms of percentage representation in 
       licenses

I believe this would be hard to measure. All I can think about is checking
those percentages in Freshmeat, but I am not sure how representative it would
be. Besides, that is information that is constantly changing. In my opinion,
the HOWTO should not include such information. I believe it would be very
interesting to have it, but I think it belongs more to independent studies
than to the License HOWTO.

Is someone currently working on the HOWTO? I will continue working on it
unless someone else is doing it already. Please let me know.

Alejo.

-- 
The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution.
      -- Albert Einstein.