[Catalog-sig] Troubled by changes to PyPI usage agreement

[Terry Reedy]

Ben Finney wrote:
> Howdy all,

> +             <li>The PSF is free to use or disseminate any content that I upload on an 
> +               unrestricted basis for any purpose.

I presume this is the first thing that bothers Ben. The PYTHON SOFTWARE 
FOUNDATION LICENSE VERSION 2, which I just checked is *NOT* an 
unrestricted license. It has a few mild conditions. So it could seem a 
little strange that it would not allow at least the same restrictions on 
stuff uploaded.

 > 		In particular, the PSF and all other
> +               users of the web site are granted an irrevocable, 

The PSF license has a termination clause.

> The content that I submit to PyPI is licensed under specific license
> terms. That certainly does *not* allow the PSF to “use or disseminate
> any content that I upload on an unrestricted basis for any purpose”,
> etc.; it allows only those acts permitted by the license terms granted
> in the work.
> 
> I have already registered an account at PyPI, and never agreed to this
> wording. (The previous wording was much less broad and unobjectionable.)
> I would not have noticed it changing if I had not been investigating the
> PyPI website source code.
> 
> Will the PSF claim I am bound by it anyway?

Unless the previous agreement included a unilateral 'change at will' 
clause (which I do not think US courts allow), you are not. You have to 
at least be given notice and a chance to opt out of the change and 
cancel the agreement.

You will have to ask the PSF what it 'claims' and intends.

tjr