lacey@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (John Lacey) (07/28/89)
In article <1960@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM> ned%cad@MCC.COM (CME Ned Nowotny) writes: >For what it is worth: [ : ] >2) Calling a binding copyright a "copyleft" is little more that newspeak > and once again calls into question the FSF use of other common English > words (e.g. "free"). The FSF documents, such as the Manifesto and the General License, clearly describe what the term free means, according to FSF usage. This description has nothing to do with cost, but rather with specific freedoms the FSF feels that software users have a right to, and which are reflected in their documents. For example, the right to freely redistribute the GNU software to others, and to include the source in your own programs. Granted, the GL also "restricts" your rights, in some sense, but it does so purely to be able to guarantee the freedoms mentioned above. >A license that clearly requires users of FSF software to provide FSF >source code utilized within an otherwise proprietary product on demand >for reasonable costs of distribution would be acceptable to almost >everyone. It is the "guilt by association" implied in the current >license that gives me reservations. While I do not expect a change of >heart by RMS, Len, et al., I do believe it is a topic worth discussing. I agree, this is a topic worth discussing, but you are also correct in thinking that the FSF'ers are not going to change their minds on this one. They quite clearly opppose software hoarding, and your mention of "otherwise proprietary products" removes GNU software from consideration. The GNU Project is intended to supplant proprietary software, not make it easier to develop. So, again, I think this is a topic worth discussing, but it has nothing to do with the GNU Project, so let's discuss it elsewhere. >Ned Nowotny, MCC CAD Program, Box 200195, Austin, TX 78720 Ph: (512) 338-3715 >ARPA: ned@mcc.com UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cadillac!ned -- John Lacey | cornell!batcomputer!lacey lacey@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu | lacey@crnlthry.bitnet