Simple Public License, draft

[Justin Wells]

On Thu, Sep 02, 1999 at 09:21:12AM -0700, Ken Arromdee wrote:
> What happens if later on there's a GPL version 3, and someone wants to mix
> code from a GPL program which uses version 3, and yours?

Neverminding my SPL, I'd like to know more about this issue too. 

Presumably the GPLv3 would be compatible with the GPLv2--but then 
again, maybe not. 

These "or any later version" clauses on GPL'd software, and the similar
clause in the Mozilla license, seem like they could be problematic. They
assume that these organizations (mozilla.org and FSF) will always be 
controlled by people with the same integrity and committment to free
software as they presently are. 

No-one could revoke rights by releasing a later version, since both 
allow use under an older version of the license. However, someone could
take control of supposedly free software and start selling extra rights
to some corporations, excluding everyone else. The later license might
not necessarily be OSS.

Am I being unnecessarily paranoid? As for the SPL, I don't really mind 
whether the "or any later version" appears in it or not, if it turns 
out there is not much of an issue after all.

Justin


> On Thu, 2 Sep 1999, Justin Wells wrote:
> > This "or any later version" has always bugged me. What if the FSF loses 
> > a lawsuit against Evil Corp., and in order to pay a judgement, all of 
> > the FSF's intellectual property rights are awarded to Evil Corp.; which
> > then releases a version of the GPL which allows Evil Corp. to make 
> > proprietary use of any GPL'd software.
> >... 
> > That's why I don't do it. If someone can convince me that this would 
> > never happen, I don't mind adding the "or any later version", but in 
> > the past, for this reason, I have always specified an exact version
> > of the GPL for my software.