On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:01:34 -0800 Sean Kellogg wrote: > On Thursday 28 February 2008 10:19:26 am Walter Landry wrote: [...] > > http://people.debian.org/~bap/dfsg-faq.html > > Now this is a page I remember... it is indelibly rooted in my mind because of > this fun exchange: > > ------------------>8------------------ > Q: I've flouted your advice and written a new license. I strongly believe > that > it conforms to the DFSG and is a free software license. People on > debian-legal don't seem to agree though. They give explanations for their > decision which I find completely unconvincing. I keep trying to explain the > flaws in their reasoning to them, but to no avail. Is there any way for me to > compel Debian to accept that my license is free? > A: No. > ------------------8<------------------ > > Nothing like being so sure of your own god-like status as to shutout debate > and deny the existence of a very clear method to compel Debian to accept the > license... it's called a GR and has been used in just such a situation (GDFL > anyone?), much to the dismay of some -legal contributors.
I have to disagree with you, here. A GR is *not* a method to compel Debian to do anything: it's a method for the Debian Project to decide what to do in a given situation. But nobody external to the Project (that is to say, no non-DD) can *compel* Debian to do anything. It's up to the Debian Project to decide what to do in a given situation. A non-DD (like me, for instance) may persuade some DD to propose a GR: *if* the GR is actually proposed, and *if* it is seconded, *then* it will get voted upon; but the outcome will not necessarily correspond to the initial hopes of the non-DD. The non-DD does not even have vote right: hence he/she does not even have the opportunity to influence the outcome of the GR (other than by persuasion). Even a member of the Project (a DD) may propose a GR, but cannot compel other DDs to second it or to vote as he/she desires. So to conclude, I think it is actually true that there's no way for someone to *compel* Debian to accept a given license as "free". That said, I remind readers that IANAL, TINLA, IANADD, TINASOTODP. -- http://frx.netsons.org/progs/scripts/refresh-pubring.html New! Version 0.6 available! What? See for yourself! ..................................................... Francesco Poli . GnuPG key fpr == C979 F34B 27CE 5CD8 DC12 31B5 78F4 279B DD6D FCF4
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