GPL 3 Launch Date Announced

Joe Blakesley writes "Today, the Free Software Foundation announced that version 3 of the GNU General Public License will be released on Friday, June 29 at noon (EDT). Live video footage of the GPL's unveiling by Richard M. Stallman will be available as a stream on the FSF's website."

Comments

Interesting date to choose...

[onemorehour]

GPL v3 + iPhone in one day = collective nerdgasm?

Re:Interesting date to choose...

[Alphager]

The FSF is not about pleasing everyone. It is about solely furthering the goals of Free Software (not Open Source, not Linux). They will succeed in that.

Re:Interesting date to choose...

[Bruce Perens]

When GPL2 was written, people got music from phonograph records and a touch-tone phone was the most sophisticated input device available in most people's homes. The world changed a whole lot since then. One of the things that changed is that manufacturers gained the capability to lock down software in a way that they could change, but nobody else could. It's fine for them to have that ability, but I am not going to choose to let them do that to software that I write and they do not pay for. I don't see why anyone else would want to either. If they want to lock the code down, maybe it would be a good idea for them to find its authors and buy a commercial license.

Bruce

Re:Interesting date to choose...

[Bruce Perens]

Well this certainly is out of the question for the Linux kernel

There is BSD for that.

One has to wonder however how much cash a commercial license for some projects would bring in allowing for the funding and development for the free/open version.

Dual-licensing brings MySQL 50 Million Dollars Per Year. Which means that the GPL is a really effective capitalist tool. Folks who oppose it are often looking for a gift, rather than sharing. It seems to me that they should be willing to pay. That would be more fair.

Bruce

How are they going to unveil it?

[ChrisMounce]

I mean, it isn't a physical object. Print it out and frame it? Throw copies into the crowd? A reading by Stallman himself (followed by a license signing)?

Re:How are they going to unveil it?

[heinousjay]

A reading by Stallman himself (followed by a license signing)?

If you could somehow bottle that concept you would cure insomnia the world over.

Re:How are they going to unveil it?

[Fozzyuw]

...then lift the veil, and there it is!

At which time a large audible *gasp* from the crowd, and sweeping pan of the aforementioned veiled area shows that, in-fact, the GPL has been STOLEN! An audible laughter is heard over the loud speakers...

In A.D. 2007, GPL3 was beginning.

Stallman: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the iPhone.
Operator: We get signal.
Stallman: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Stallman: It's you !!
JOBS: How are you gentlemen !!
JOBS: All your publicity are belong to us.
JOBS: You are on the way to destruction.
Stallman: What you say !!
JOBS: You have no chance to survive make your time.
JOBS: Ha Ha Ha Ha ....
Operator: Stallman !! *
Stallman: Take off every 'Zig' !!
Stallman: You know what you doing.
Stallman: Move 'Zig'.
Stallman: For great justice.

Re:Video streaming?

[fsmunoz]

Yes, they use video streaming sometimes. "Often" is to strong a word, but they have been doing it more as of late due to the GPLv3 process. To sum it up, it's Vorbis and Theora.

Re:Timing

[eln]

I don't know about anyone else, but I plan to camp out all night in front of the FSF so I can be the first to get a copy of the final version of the GPLv3. Then I'm going to sell it on eBay.

SP1

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm going to wait for SP1 before I upgrade.

Re:Timing

[Bruce Perens]

) "No retroactive effects on the MS deal.

Actually, there are. Novell got let off easy in a way because FSF feels it's more important to use the Microsoft "coupons" to go after Microsoft's remaining patent rights with GPL3 (after doctrine of Laches, etc. has already cost MS most of those rights). But I don't think Microsoft would be very happy about Novell using GPL3 software because of that. How this plays out will be interesting.

Bruce

Tattoo

[athloi]

Gotta update my tattoo, Which was the GPL-2, But from the looks of v3, Should be hours of agony!

Re:Tattoo

[Bruce Perens]

Hah! See what you get for not including that "And any later version" language.

Re:Timing

[Bruce Perens]

And you should not be bothered by the more lines, either. Compare them to the more lines of "intellectual property" legislation like DMCA and the more lines of case law. GPL has to deal with all of that or it will progressively weaken. So what you are really seeing is FSF running as fast as it can to stay still in the context of new law.

Bruce

Re:Is it just me???

[fsmunoz]

You don't need to agree with the GPL to use the software. For an end-user that just uses the software the GPLv3 doesn't change anything, and most of it doesn't apply anyway, since its focus is on redistribution, code availability and code change. The GPL is however important for people that develop the software and that is why the GPLv3 is important.

Giving people their due is hard for some.

[jbn-o]

Yes, I realize that RMS differs on the topic, but really we're all about doing the same thing: making great software available for everyone to share, copy and modify to their heart's content. Can't we all just get along?

But you don't seem to realize why RMS differs. So do compare that ESR essay to "Why "Open Source" misses the point of Free Software" which, among other things, asks you to consider what is being proposed by the two movements and to give each movement their due. The free software movement isn't just about making software (in fact a lot of people in the free software community aren't programmers at all). The way you frame the issue, it seems that everyone getting along is fine so long as we all choose to call everything "open source" and toss aside the pursuit of freedom and social solidarity that are at the heart of the free software movement (and which the open source movement was built not to talk about).