[copyleft-next] [MERGE REQUEST] restore "install and run" text (was Re: app-stores and copyleft-next)

Bradley M. Kuhn bkuhn at ebb.org
Mon Dec 3 20:59:10 UTC 2012


TL;DR: Fontana, please accept the merge request at 
       https://gitorious.org/copyleft-next/copyleft-next/merge_requests/25
       to restore the "install and run" wording until such time as
       community consensus is reached regarding a compromise of which
       users should actually get the freedom to install modified
       versions.

> On 11/27/2012 10:46 PM, Luis Villa wrote:
>> My understanding of the functional requirement of Sec. 9(ii) was that
>> it required the *ability* to install, not merely a description of how
>> it might be done:
>> 
>> "all scripts, instructions and information known to you necessary for
>> a skilled developer to build, compile, generate, modify, install and
>> run the Covered Work."

I understand that Luis' clients, who aren't friendly to the rights of
users to install modified versions of software, would want this removed.
I'm sorry to see that Richard has removed it at Luis' behest without any
discussion about the issue.

> I've now taken out "install and run" from the definition of
> Corresponding Source.

The right to install and run modified versions is *the* essential
freedom that copyleft must now defend, especially with embedded systems.

GPLv3 made compromises of various sorts of this regard.  However, it's a
mistake for copyleft-next to "start" the negotiation point as "users
have no freedom to install and run modified versions".

Therefore, I've submitted a merge request to revert this change.  Please
accept it.  If Luis and those who oppose the freedom to install and run
modified versions want to propose a compromise position -- as was done
by the same powers-that-be during GPLv3 -- they should propose a
compromise that allows the freedom to install modified versions some but
not all of the time, as GPLv3 does.  Then we can consider the compromise
as a community.

Let's start at protecting the rights to install and run.  Luis can
propose an actual patch that shows what compromise he and his clients
want on this front, and then we as a community can decide if that's the
right compromise.

Please accept my merge request to revert the change that was made
without real discussion, and then let Luis propose a patch for a
compromise.
-- 
   -- bkuhn


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