Python License Issues

[Michael Chermside]

> Hello from rainy London
> 
> We have an issue with the python license

            [...]

> We can consider accepting liability 
> on all third party code we use, for such gross misconduct situations but is 
> it technically possible to do so given the PSF license? Ideally we would 
> like to negotiate a single license agreement with these clients (our license 
> agreement) which provides additional liability over and above to that which 
> PSF provides. However given clause 4 it seems that the client *must* 
> directly be bound by the PSF license. 
> 
> Any comments? 
> 
> Pavlos


First of all -- THANKS for your vote of confidence to be willing to 
accept the liability: No, we (the Python community) try hard not to 
engage in gross misconduct, but we appreciate your vote of confidence to 
back that up with real money (well... liability is LIKE money sometimes).

Secondly: this is just not a situation which the Python license is 
really intended to solve -- clause 4 is there to protect Guido, the PSF, 
and such folks, not to restrict the use of Python. Other folks with more 
legal background than I may come up with a clever legal workaround.

However, if they don't, then that's EXACTLY why the PSF holds the 
copyright on the code. Python is licensed under the PSF license to just 
about anyone who is willing to abide by a few rules (like clause 4: 
can't sue us 'cause you don't like how it works), but that doesn't mean 
that this is the ONLY license. If you can't work out something better, 
why not approach the PSF and ask them to license Python to YOU under a 
different license? A non-transferable license specifically allowing you 
to redistribute w/o restrictions if you accept legal liability might 
just be workable. Of course, IANAL and all that.

-- Michael Chermside