[License-discuss] "Ethical open source" and the Persona Non Grata clause.

[Russell McOrmond]

On Mon, Feb 24, 2020 at 1:28 PM Gil Yehuda via License-discuss <
license-discuss at lists.opensource.org> wrote:

> The most recent proposal to use a license preamble as shame-vehicle
> reveals a potential loophole to the OSD.
>

This is an important part of the clarification.  Recognising that it is a
loophole in the OSD makes it obvious that the OSD may need clarifying text
to close that loophole for people who didn't otherwise understand the
intent of the OSD.   Believing it is legitimate to try to use copyright and
contract law to get around the *intent* of the OSD is something that should
not be entertained.


The idea that a proprietor of software has the right to blame and shame is
a proprietary concept that should be recognised as such.  While copyright
and patent law creates and encourages such proprietary concepts, the
intention of the Free Software and Open Source software movements was to
encourage proprietors to waive these proprietary concepts for a greater
good.


BTW: What is being discussed here isn't new.  Even before Eric and others
coined "Open Source" I was having discussions in the mid 1990's with
political partisans that wanted to create party-specific "Free Software"
licenses  (IE: This is GPL for anyone who is not a member of a competing
political party).  There were people arguing against the use of Free
Software by their chosen political party on this basis.  I argued against
that toxic concept then, and will always believe that this concept would be
the end of the purpose behind Free Software and Open Source software.  The
world is becoming increasingly politically divided, and we should not be
inviting this into this movement.  Lets not launch OSIxit and FSFxit.

-- 
Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>

Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property rights
as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition! http://l.c11.ca/ict/

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