[copyleft-next] [PATCH] (new) Re: Anything that is called copyleft must defend the freedom to install modified versions

Richard Fontana fontana at sharpeleven.org
Mon Aug 6 00:30:06 UTC 2012


On 08/05/2012 10:30 AM, Bradley M. Kuhn wrote:
> I've proposed another patch (attached), removing the [any] and bringing
> in other parts of my original patch that Fontana removed.  As mentioned
> elsewhere in the thread, I suggest that we make this just a
> clarification of GPLv2 (sans authorization-keys issue), and I believe
> we'll be well on the way to that with the attached patch, which is also
> in this merge request:
> 
> https://gitorious.org/copyleft-next/copyleft-next/merge_requests/14

[Luis Villa:]
>> I've never been sure what "control" means in this context. Given that
>> "perform" is probably broad enough to completely encompass "control,"
>> and given how comprehensive the list of tasks is now (it's arguably
>> impossible to "perform" a build without some form of control) I'd be
>> inclined to replace "control and perform" with simply "perform," or
>> else give a more specific definition of "control" (e.g, by reference
>> to configuration files.)
> 
> I actually think "scripts used to control compilation and installation
> of the executable" is effectively the same as what I wrote in my
> original patch, but I've seen weasely lawyers argue otherwise to defend
> their GPL-violating clients, so I
> think we need as much text in there as possible.  We should keep adding
> verbs until we can't think of any more.  The sharks on the other side
> will keep coming up with new verbs to tell us they're *so* different, just
> to help their client get away with violating the GPL.

I have accepted most of *this* patch except for Bradley's introduction
of the term "know-how", which I want to do some more research on, as
it is commonly used in technology license agreements (where it seems
it typically is a defined term). Of course I welcome any discussion
about it or the rest of this patch here

Note that I do not necessarily endorse the characterization of any
persons as "weasels" or "sharks".

 - Richard







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