[Python-Dev] Python 2.0 License Discussion Mailing List Created

[Guido van Rossum]

Now that the CNRI license issues are nearly settled, BeOpen.com needs
to put its own license on Python 2.0 (as a derivative work of CNRI's
Python 1.6) too.  We want an open discussion about the new license
with the Python community, and have established a mailing list for
this purpose.  To participate subscribe, go to

   http://mailman.beopen.com/mailman/listinfo/license-py20

and follow the instructions for subscribing.  The mailing list is
unmoderated, open to all, and archived
(at http://mailman.beopen.com/pipermail/license-py20/).

Your questions, concerns and suggestions are welcome!

Our initial thoughts are to use a slight adaptation of the CNRI
license for Python 1.6, adding an "or GPL" clause, meaning that Python
2.0 can be redistributed under the Python 2.0 license or under the GPL
(like Perl can be redistributed under the Artistic license or under
the GPL).

Note that I don't want this list to degenerate into flaming about the
CNRI license (except as it pertains directly to the 2.0 license) --
there's little we can do about the CNRI license, and it has been
beaten to death on comp.lang.python.

In case you're in the dark about the CNRI license, please refer to
http://www.python.org/1.6/download.html for the license text and to
http://www.python.org/1.6/license_faq.html for a list of frequently
asked questions about the license and CNRI's answers.

Note that we're planning to release the first beta release of Python
2.0 on September 4 -- however we can change the license for the final
release.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.pythonlabs.com/~guido/)