[OT?] GPL v3 FUD, was For Approval: MLL (minimal library license)

[Chris Travers]

On Nov 14, 2007 9:47 AM, Alexander Terekhov
<alexander.terekhov at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 11/14/07, Richard Fontana <fontana at softwarefreedom.org> wrote:
> [...]
> > > 2)  Applicability of 7(2) permissions removal requirements to BSDL
> > > files included verbatim.  The SFLC seems to think that this issue can
> > > safely be ignored (i.e. pretend that the BSDL gives you this right but
> > > just don't exercise it).
> >
> > You keep on mentioning this issue. I can only tell you that you are not
> > reading section 7 the way the drafters of it (one of whom was I)
> > intended it to be read, and the way in which the legislative history of
>
> He he. The Legislative History. Right.
>
> http://weblog.ipcentral.info/archives/2007/03/delusions_of_gr.html
>
> > GPLv3 makes clear it ought to be read.  From a section 7 perspective,
> > the BSDL is not an "additional permission".  It's an additional
> > restriction, or a set of additional restrictions.  The additional
>
> Even more exciting theory... so in the GNU Republic, BSDL is GPL plus
> "additional restrictions". How fascinating!
>

Actually Mr Fontana has a point that the BSD license may be a
permissive grant outside the bounds of "additional permissions" and
hence might not be subject to Section 7, paragraph 2.  If this is in
fact the intent (and I hope that it is), I would certainly hope that
we will be seeing more work on the part of the SFLC and FSF in
publicly clarifying this issue, and perhaps even see incremental
changes to the license down the road (maybe a GPL v3.0.1).

Those of us who do software development all know that large changes
cause disruption, problems, and bugs.  It is not unreasonable to
assume that a lot of the concerns with the GPL v3 are no different and
that given some time the portions of the license which appear to be
unreasonable will be clarified so that they are no longer
unreasonable.  I certainly will be watching where this goes with great
interest.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers