<HTML dir=ltr><HEAD><TITLE>RE: OSI enforcement?</TITLE>
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<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>Philippe Verdy [mailto:verdy_p@wanadoo.fr]<BR>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>> If OSI would mean "freedom", I would applaude this, if at least the OSI<BR>> movement could reconcile its positions with the FSF. I do belive that<BR>> there's much more to gain by rejoining the two movements, and put an end to<BR>> the split that occurred in the past, most propably motivated by some hidden<BR>> supporters of proprietary licencing schemes that tried to divide the common<BR>> interests, and infiltrate some doubts and fears within the spirit of<BR>> deciders in organizations.<BR><BR>> We can see now how this split is damageable, and how the proprietary<BR>> licencing supporters are trying to defeat the free and open-source movement<BR>> by legal threats: they have largely supported the unification of all rights<BR>> related laws into a single expression "intellectual property rights" and<BR>> they have won what they were looking for, because now they have<BR>> international treaties and laws throughout the world to support the concept.<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>I think these statements clearly show the difference between the open source </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>and free software communities and why they are indeed separate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>For me, proprietary software is not the enemy, we can</FONT><FONT size=2> be both "open </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>source supporters" and "proprietary licensing </FONT><FONT size=2>supporters" at the </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>very same time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>So, no, I don't believe that the split was "most probably motivated by some hidden<BR>supporters of proprietary licensing schemes" but a reaction to the polarization</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>of the issue by free software proponents.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>Given the two communities I suspect that any "reconciliation" would be </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>very one sided. I really doubt the FSF is going to abandon the position </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>that closed source software is unethical.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>And saying that </FONT><FONT size=2>OSI (or open source folks in general) doesn't support freedom </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>(because </FONT><FONT size=2>your definition of freedom differs) </FONT><FONT size=2>really doesn't help your cause.</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2>Nigel</DIV>
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