GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom [LWN.net]

GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom

Posted Oct 26, 2006 2:35 UTC (Thu) by bignose (subscriber, #40)
In reply to: GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom by bojan
Parent article: Linux: GPLv3, DRM, and Exceptions (KernelTrap.org)

> > The devices you describe are explicitly designed to restrict the freedoms of the recipient, so that they cannot exercise the freedom to modify and run the software.

> My point exactly. So, the devices are the problem here - and one that GPLv3 isn't going to solve.

No copyright license can solve that problem, and the GPLv3 isn't designed to do so.

The problem GPLv3 is addressing, in this case, is the unwilling contribution by free software developers to explicitly non-free distribution.

(Log in to post comments)

GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom

Posted Oct 26, 2006 2:44 UTC (Thu) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link]

> The problem GPLv3 is addressing, in this case, is the unwilling contribution by free software developers to explicitly non-free distribution.

A noble goal, for sure (I'm not being sarcastic here, I promise).

However, in the case of Linux (or other similar software) this would have a side effect of killing the development efforts of many of those developers. So, instead of just killing "non-free distribution", communities and a lot of contributions useful elsewhere would be killed with it as well. All of which is just collateral damage to FSF, I guess.

GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom

Posted Oct 26, 2006 2:54 UTC (Thu) by bignose (subscriber, #40) [Link]

> this would have a side effect of killing the development efforts of many of those developers. So, instead of just killing "non-free distribution", communities and a lot of contributions useful elsewhere would be killed with it as well.

I guess our crystal balls must be tuned to different futures. I plan to keep working toward the future I see in mine.

Thanks for the discussion, I'm stopping here.

GPLv3 is designed to ensure the software user's freedom

Posted Oct 26, 2006 3:00 UTC (Thu) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link]

> Thanks for the discussion, I'm stopping here.

Thanks for your time. I enjoyed the discussion.