[License-review] Approval: Server Side Public License, Version 2 (SSPL v2)

[Bruce Perens]

On Sun, Feb 17, 2019 at 9:46 PM Kyle Mitchell <kyle at kemitchell.com> wrote:

>
> If OSD 6 banned any kind of discrimination whatsoever in terms, GPLv2
> discriminated against proprietary software makers.
>

Obviously making source code for the licensed program available is the
primary purpose of Open Source and OSD #6 doesn't ban that. Where SSPL
departs from this is that it over-reaches to demand that source code be
made available for something *other *than the licensed program, and only in
a specific use case.


> AGPL and OSL went after SaaS companies
>

AGPL and OSL extended the obligations that were until that date triggered
upon distribution to trigger upon public performance. AGPL and OSL did not
over-reach to demand source of programs that are simply used together, as
SSPL does.


> Last, the scarlet letter Mongo's people have been made to wear for coming
> as a business corporation.


Who isn't a business corporation? You can assume that my corporate
interests are significant, and are pretty well aligned with those
enterprises that want to use not-quite-Open-Source licenses and Open Source
ones together. I simply believe these things should fall under different
brands.

You should also note that I took on this exact problem for MariaDB's
Business Source License, and am taking it on with you in another venue. I
am not against the use of these licenses. I just don't believe they should
be called Open Source.

Relevant or not here?  If not, why does it come up so often?


Because Free Software and Open Source drew a line in the sand, gave it a
brand, and have defended that line. There will always be attempts to push
it elsewhere, and they will always be resisted.

They can't register with me, emotionally or as arguments.
>

That's obvious. But most of the business people concerned with this problem
have accepted that licenses like MariaDB's Business Source license, the
SSPL, and other similar things belong in a space other than Open Source.

    Thanks

    Bruce
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