Python 1.6b1, with the new CNRI open source license, is released today from the python.org website. Read all about it: http://www.python.org/1.6/ Here's a little background on the new license (also posted on www.pythonlabs.com): CNRI has funded Python development for five years and held copyright, but never placed a CNRI-specific license on the software. In order to clarify the licensing, BeOpen.com has been working with CNRI to produce a new CNRI license. The result of these discussions (which included Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens, Richard Stallman and Python Consortium members) has produced the CNRI Open Source License, under which Python 1.6b1 has been released. Bob Weiner, CTO of BeOpen.com, on the result of the licensing discussions: "Bob Kahn [CNRI's President] worked with us to understand the particular needs of the Open Source community and Python users. The result is a very open license." The new CNRI license was approved by the Python Consortium members, at a meeting of the Python Consortium on Friday, July 21, 2000 in Monterey, California. Eric Raymond, President of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), reports that OSI's Board of Directors voted to certify the new CNRI license [modulo minor editing] as fully Open Source compliant. Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, is in discussion with CNRI about the new license's compatibility with the GPL. We are hopeful that the remaining issues will be resolved in favor of GPL compatibility before the release of Python 1.6 final. We would like to thank all who graciously volunteered their time to help make these results possible: Bob Kahn for traveling out west to discuss these issues in person; Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens for their useful contributions to the discussions; Bob Weiner for taking care of the bulk of the negotiations; Richard Stallman for GNU; and the Python Consortium representatives for making the consortium meeting a success! (And I would personally like to thank Tim Peters for keeping the newsgroup informed and for significant editing of the text above.) --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.pythonlabs.com/~guido/)