[Python-Dev] release forms? (was: [Patches] New sys method to return total reference count in debug builds.)

Wed, 7 Jun 2000 21:05:55 -0700

On Wed, Jun 07, 2000 at 05:33:10PM +0300, Moshe Zadka wrote:
> On Wed, 7 Jun 2000, Greg Ward wrote:
> 
> > CNRI has absolutely no moral right to it (although probably some legal
> > right), I'd prefer to sign it away to Guido.  Or optionally, to some
> > legal fiction that represents the Python community; preferably *not* the
> > Python Consortium, as long as CNRI is in any way connected.
> 
> Who's in charge of the PSA?

CNRI

Effectively, the PSA is a legal fiction for collecting donations to further
the development of Python. The Consortium is similar, but members have the
actual/explicit capability to steer Python's development. I believe this
ability to steer the development is (was?) rooted in the fact that CNRI
employed Guido. I have no idea how that will work now -- the "steering" will
(essentially) have to rely entirely on Guido's good graces. Guido is an
excellent listener to people's needs, so there is no immediate problem here.

> Or should we form *another* non-profit, and sign it over to it?

The Apache Software Foundation is already a legal, formed, non-profit
corporation. If the desire is to transfer copyright to a non-profit, then
I'd recommend reusing the ASF rather than trying to start a new one.
Recognize that running a company (even a non-profit) is not a "zero cost"
item. Somebody would have to put that time in.

CNRI is also non-profit, but its members/board/directors/etc are not as Open
Source minded as the ASF.

> (Personally, I couldn't care less who I transfer copyright over my Python
> contributions to -- I'd put it in the public domain if that's what it
> took)

As Barry said: license and copyright are different. Since you own the
copyright, then you *can* put it into the public domain Right Now. I've done
that with some of my modules (e.g. qp_xml and imputil).

Here is the header from qp_xml.py:

#
# qp_xml: Quick Parsing for XML
#
# Written by Greg Stein. Public Domain.
# No Copyright, no Rights Reserved, and no Warranties.
#

Fun, huh? :-)

On the other hand, I have given Guido two pieces of code: httplib.py and
davlib.py:

Oh. I need to update his copyright year :-)

Want to know something really funny? Presuming my httplib.py goes into the
Python distribution, that will be the first piece of code that Guido truly
owns in Python. All the other code he wrote is owned by CWI or CNRI....

Cheers,
-g

-- 
Greg Stein, http://www.lyra.org/