Raul Miller wrote: > On Wed, Jul 07, 2004 at 05:04:33AM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote: >> The Dictator Test: >> >> A licence is not Free if it prohibits actions which, in the absence of >> acceptance of the licence, would be allowed by copyright or other >> applicable laws. >> >> License grantors do not have a private right of legislation; that is, >> they are not dictators who can subject you to their personal >> jurisdiction through a license. >> >> If anyone has an objection, please speak up ASAP. > > I like the overall concept of this test, but there's an issue which > I'm concerned about, which is "what about legal differences between one > jurisdiction and another"? > > Is this test meant to be relevant in the context of all laws, regardless > of country? Does this mean that all free licenses become non-free when > some crazed lawmakers in some country decide that free licenses are > invalid in that country? > > [Personally, I think all of our "tests" should be explicitly tied to some > practical concern so we have some basis for reasoning when unanticipated > situations arise.]
This is really about freedoms. You don't want to *lose* freedoms (the right to criticize the author, sue third parties, etc.) by getting a free software license. The "Freedom to Sue" may not count as a worthwhile freedom. :-) -- There are none so blind as those who will not see.
