For Approval: Open Source Software Alliance License

Russell Nelson nelson at crynwr.com
Fri Sep 26 19:46:28 UTC 2003


Sean Chittenden writes:
 > > The GPL interferes with the creation of proprietary software.
 > 
 > Correct, which is what I object to and why I created the OSSAL.
 > Businesses using OSSAL software would give the business the ability to
 > create proprietary software, even though the non-core parts are most
 > likely open and available to the public.

That's really perverse, Sean.  Pretend that the GPL is a proprietary
license for software distributed by the FSF.  Let's say that this
business (the FSF) takes a piece of BSD-licensed software, makes even
a trivial modification, and licenses it under their proprietary
license (the GPL).  The software leaves the realm of software
modifiable by you, or anyone else who wants to make proprietary
changes.  You say this is bad, but it's exactly the same thing that
happens when any other company does the same thing.  Why do you want
your license to discriminate against the FSF?

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