Picking a license

[Patrick Maupin]

On May 10, 12:37 pm, Paul Boddie <p... at boddie.org.uk> wrote:
> On 10 Mai, 17:06, a... at pythoncraft.com (Aahz) wrote:
>
> > In article <074b412a-c2f4-4090-a52c-4d69edb29... at d39g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>,
> > Paul Boddie  <p... at boddie.org.uk> wrote:
> > >Actually, the copyleft licences don't "force" anyone to "give back
> > >changes": they oblige people to pass on changes.
>
> > IMO, that's a distinction without a difference, particularly if you
> > define "give back" as referring to the community rather than the original
> > project.
>
> There is a difference: I know of at least one vendor of GPL-licensed
> solutions who received repeated requests that they make their sources
> available to all-comers, even though the only obligation is to those
> receiving the software in the first place. Yes, the code can then
> become public - if Red Hat decided to only release sources to their
> customers, and those customers shared the sources publicly, then
> CentOS would still be around as a Red Hat "clone" - but there are
> situations where recipients of GPL-licensed code may decide that it is
> in their best interests not to just upload it to the public Internet.
>
> >  With the FSF itself using "pressure" in the FAQ entry you
> > linked to, I have no clue why you and Ben Finney object to my use of
> > "force".
>
> Because no-one is being forced to do anything. Claiming that "force"
> is involved is like hearing a schoolboy saying, "I really wanted that
> chocolate, but why is that man forcing me to pay for it?" Well, you
> only have to pay for it if you decide you want to take it - that's the
> only reasonable response.

I've addressed this before.  Aahz used a word in an accurate, but to
you, inflammatory, sense, but it's still accurate -- the man *would*
force you to pay for the chocolate if you took it.  You're making it
sound like whining, but Aahz was simply trying to state a fact.  The
fact is, I know the man would force me to pay for the chocolate, so in
some cases that enters into the equation and keeps me from wanting the
chocolate.  This isn't whining; just a common-sense description of
reality.  Personally, I think this use of the word "force" is much
less inflammatory than the deliberate act of co-opting the word
"freedom" to mean "if you think you can take this software and do
anything you want with it, you're going to find out differently when
we sue you."

Regards,
Pat