restricting the use of open source software

[Ernest Prabhakar]

Hi Julien,


On Mar 25, 2005, at 2:31 PM, Julien Fer wrote:
> I am interesting in learning about any open source license with the
> particular feature that it forbids use of the software in any
> military application and within  military institutions.
> Does anyone know of such a license, or if a modifying clause to an
> existing license (ideally GPL) can possibly add this restriction?

Unfortunately for you, any such license would explicitly contradict  
OSD #6:
http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php

> 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
>
> The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program  
> in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict  
> the program from being used in a business, or from being used for  
> genetic research.
>
> Rationale: The major intention of this clause is to prohibit  
> license traps that prevent open source from being used  
> commercially. We want commercial users to join our community, not  
> feel excluded from it.
There may be source-available licenses with that constraint; you  
could certainly create your own as a derivative of an open source  
license (that allows itself to be used like that; not sure the GPL  
does).  However, such a license would not be open source, and would  
probably be shunned by the majority of open source developers.

-- Ernie P.