OSD #1 proposed change

Chris D. Sloan cds at cs.hmc.edu
Mon Nov 19 03:02:55 UTC 2001


On Wed, Nov 14, 2001 at 02:11:41PM -0800, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> on Wed, Nov 14, 2001 at 12:58:54AM -0500, Forrest J. Cavalier III (mibsoft at mibsoftware.com) wrote:
> > bruce at perens.com wrote:
[...]
> > Currently OSD #1 reads:
> >          The license shall not restrict any party from selling
> >          or giving away the software as a component of an
> >          aggregate software distribution containing programs
> >          from several different sources. The license shall
> >          not require a royalty or other fee for such sale.
> > 
> > I propose it be changed to:
> >          The license shall not restrict any party from selling
> >          or giving away copies of the software, either separately
> >          or as a component of an aggregate software distribution
> >          containing programs from several different sources. The
> >          license shall not require a royalty or other fee to make
> >          or use such copies.
> 
> I'm opposed to such a change until it's demonstrated that the existing
> definition doesn't already achieve this effect.  I've posted my
> rationale for suggesting it does.

If the OSD is not changed, then maybe the rationale should be posted
to the website.  Your rationale depends on non-obvious (to me, at
least) interpretation of the right to make derived works.  It might be
useful to have that rationale available on the website near the OSD
so that people to who don't read the list can figure it out too.  It
could be something along the lines of a FAQ ("Does the OSD permit
fee-per-use or shareware software?"  "No, because OSD#3...") although
it probably doesn't belong in the existing FAQ since that one is more
about open source than the OSD.

	Chris

-- 
Chris Sloan
cds at cs.hmc.edu
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