[tlug] Open Source Licenses

[<burlingk@kitty-hawk.navy.m??>]

Title: Message

Which open source license does everyone prefer?

 

I have been looking at a few, and have noticed a few things.

 

Someone mentioned the OSL. [1] 

 

I am looking at the GNU site as we speak, as well as reading over OSL 1.0, and all those things which the web site claims makes the OSL incompatible with the GPL are the very things they are now trying to work into the GPL, except that I agree, the OSL words it very cleanly.  Paraphrased, "If you have a patent, and that patented item is required to run the licensed program, then you are also granting a license for the people using and editing the program to use that patented material."  That is not the exact words, but it basically is a one sentence summary. Truth be told, the entire section isn't very long, it gets right to the point.

 

The license does read more legalistically, but it doesn't restrict anyone's rights to do anything with the software, so long as they make the source code available under the same license.  I think I may actually like it better than the GPL now that I have read it. ^_^  It is clean, and to the point.  It even covers the issue of distribution and use in a manner that totally eliminates half the issues that are currently being argued for the GPLv3 concerning Network Deployment.[2]

 

Anyway, I digress. :)  All the recent conversation about GPLv3 and the holes that still exist in the discussion drafts has had me thinking too much on the subject.

 

From reading the OSL, it seems that it is what they are trying to make the GPLv3 say, minus all the tack on features that don't really relate to software.

 

I think I have babbled enough for the moment. ^^;;

 

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[1].  stephen@xemacs.o??  in response to the GPLv3 conversation, in which I babbled more than usual.

[2]. http://www.opensource.org/licenses/osl-1.0.txt