psf's charter (was: PythonLabs Team Moves...)

[Grant Griffin]

tim_one at email.msn.com wrote:
> 
...
> Python's direction will still be set by Guido.  Rights to our Python
> (etc -- Jython/Mailman) work will be assigned to the PSF (to Guido,
> until the PSF exists), establishing a strong legal wall between Python
> (etc) and DC's (or anyone else's) particular private interests.

Hi Tim,

It's probably too early to ask this, but please let me at least plant
the seed...

The idea of the "Python Software Foundation" is a *VERY* good idea. 
Python's recent license wrangling, together with user's concerns about
Python's overall "license stability" have indicated the need for such a
thing.

The FSF already provides a very useful service in this way, that is, of
being a not-for-profit foundation which promises users that software
whose copyrights it holds will perpetually be licensed under certain
terms.  Unfortunately, something like the PSF is needed in the case of
Python, because Python's license terms are not what the FSF prefers.  (I
guess we can't trust the FSF to hold the copyright to Python, and offer
it under CWI license terms. <wink>)

But Python is simply a specific case that illustrates a more general
situation: an alternative to the FSF is needed to hold copyrights of
software licensed very freely under something like the BSD or CWI
license, while providing a similar service to the FSF: guaranteeing
user's that the software will perpetually be licensed under those terms.

You probably see where I'm going here: as Guido and the Python Team work
to set up the PSF, I would like to ask that its charter cover not only
Python and its licenses, but that it also be broad enough to hold
copyrights of non-Python software.  In other words, I think the
governing principle of the PSF should not be to own and hold _Python_ so
much as to own and hold copyrights of software licensed under "truly
free" (non-GPL) licenses like BSD, CWI, or whatever.  (One can
characterize those licenses many ways, but the underlying theme is
simply one of having virtually no usage restrictions--except, of course,
"no warranty").

Of course, I recognize that a broader charter for the PSF would require
more time, effort, resources, etc. to accomplish broader goals;
obviously the first-and-foremost thing for the PSF to do is to hold
Python's copyright.  However, I simply ask that as you organize the PSF,
you plan for the _possibility_ of a broader purpose; if, in time,
serving the broader purpose eventually becomes practical within the
resources of the PSF, then that's a very good thing for the Open Source
community.

Be sure to yell if I can help with the PSF.

wide-open-ly y'rs,

=g2
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
Publisher of dspGuru                           http://www.dspguru.com
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