On 9/23/07, Joel B. Mohler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> On Sunday 23 September 2007 15:46, William Stein wrote:
> > However, in the COPYING file for Sage itself, I wrote: "All original
> > SAGE code is distributed  under the terms of the GNU General Public
> > License *Version 2*."
> >
> > Just out of curiosity, would anybody be angry if I were to remove the
> > words "*Version 2*" from the above sentence in the COPYING file?
>
> Well, I wouldn't say I'd be "angry", but I dislike the GPLv3.  My principle
> reason for disliking it is section 3.  I didn't read up on acticle 11 of
> WIPO, but my understanding is that they are attempting to forbid writing of
> DRM schemes with GPL'ed code.  I don't like where that goes.  When I release
> code under the GPL I'm not concerned about what the users do with it -- I'm
> only concerned that they release their code that builds on it.  I believe
> this is two fundamentally different issues and I think that the FSF is
> muddying the waters to mix them.


The clam that GPLv3 forbids DRM schemes is called a "myth" by Ed Burnette
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=354
I think early drafts of GPLv3 were more anti-DRm than the final draft.


>
> Now, I realize that people who feel strongly opposed to DRM may find my
> distinction silly.  Actually, I feel rather strongly opposed to DRM myself
> but I don't want to start enumerating all the things that I feel strongly
> about that I don't want my code to be used for.
>
> Anyhow, maybe I'm totally misunderstanding section 3.  Also I realize that
> GPLv3 is probably the only realistic way forward since the FSF is the 800 lb
> gorilla as far as open licenses are concerned.   I guess I would sum up my
> feeling as being that I'm more strongly opposed to license proliferation than
> I am against the DRM clause in GPLv3.
>
> I very much do not like the blanket "or later version" scheme for dealing with
> the GPL.  This, to me, gives the FSF a blank check for whatever in GPLv4, and
> after seeing GPLv3, I trust them even less than I used to.


Is "GPLv2 or GPLv3 (your preference)" better?


>
> On Sunday 23 September 2007 15:46, William Stein wrote:
> > Evidently nobody (but me) has ever actually submitted any code to Sage
> > where they explicitly put "Version 2" in their copyright statement.
> > I'm asking this mainly to see what our options are.
>
> I didn't make any requests, but that was because I already knew it was GPLv2
> (which was what I wanted).
>
> I'm not quite comfortable with your license analysis for PARI and Singular.
> If they say GPLv2 somewhere prominent in their distribution I would take that
> to apply to all the source and not view the individual source files
> differently because they don't specify the version number (i.e. I believe
> they intended to have each individual source file released under GPLv2, but
> didn't think it was worth repeating).
>
> --
> Joel
>
> >
>

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