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GPL 3.0 Rewrite Drive Is No Democracy

linumax writes "Users will be free to comment on the upcoming complex and technical draft versions of the GNU General Public License 3.0 in an easy way, according to Eben Moglen, general counsel for the Free Software Foundation. However, Moglen said Wednesday, speaking at the Open Source Business Conference here, the rewrite of the GPL is not an election and there will be no voting on its clauses. In a session entitled GPL 3.0: Directions, Implications, Casualties, Moglen said that when GPL 2.0 was promulgated some 14 years ago, very few people cared about it. On the advice of a few dozen people and a couple of lawyers, it was written and released. "That was a fine system then. It is not a fine system now. I expect the process around GPL 3.0, when it begins in some 60 to 90 days' time, to collect a great deal of comment from people on the draft documents... ", He said."

4 of 386 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Compatibility is key... by AuMatar · · Score: 0, Troll

    WHy don't those other projects just use the GPL? THe GPL is a minimal attempt to get a propogating license out. If they chose to use another license, its their own problem for deciding to use something more restrictive. If they want to fix the problem, they need ot change, NOT the GPL.

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    I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
  2. Re:GPL != Open Software by Oliver+Defacszio · · Score: 0, Troll
    GPL has and always will be about pushing a particular political agenda, not about creating software that anyone can use in any way they wish to use it.

    Well, duh. The entire universe of free and open source software is purely political. Ever looked around this place? Linux and open source isn't about good software, it's about putting the screws to Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, etc, etc, etc.

    That's where the old saying comes from, young man -- BSD (and its licence) are for those who like UNIX. Linux (and the GPL) are for those who hate Windows.

    And, furthermore, most of the "reasons" they use to hate Windows don't even apply anymore (e.g. stability, speed).

    Pure politics, pal.

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    Inventor of the term 'pardon my French'.
  3. Re:Compatibility is key... by Spit · · Score: 0, Troll

    If a license is incompatible with the GPL, it is because they have chosen to be.

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    POKE 36879,8
  4. Re:Why would it be a democracy? by petrus4 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Just as the feudal lords demanded tribute from travellers moving across their lands, Disney, Time Warner, RIAA-labels, represent the other extreme that wants to control what you see, hear and read. Want to watch Disney's Song of the South? Too bad. Lose the DRM key that controls access to your media? Tough.

    They're not going to succeed at doing that, though...and there are also enough other people opposed to that when they do fail, St Ignucius won't be able to claim complete credit for it, either...Not that that will prevent him from trying, mind you.

    I've often wondered why Stallman is so desperate to be percieved as a Messiah. Methinks that he perhaps does not realise the scale of the burden that would be involved in actually being such a figure. Simply trying to *look* like one while taking credit for other people's work is easy. I realise however that that is the other (and probably the main) reason why he bothers me as much as he does; not only is he a narcissistic, demagogic Marxist fanatic, he's also a complete fraud, for the most part.