[Python-Dev] DRAFT: python-dev Summary for 2006-01-01 through 2006-01-15

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

>>>>> "Tim" == Tim Peters <tim.peters at gmail.com> writes:

    Tim> [Martin v. Löwis]

    >> Also, I firmly believe that the FSF would *not* sue the PSF,
    >> but instead first ask that the status is corrected.

They would ask first.  That's what they did in the case of Aladdin
Ghostscript's use of readline.

    Tim> I'd say that's almost certain.  Like any organization with
    Tim> something fuzzy to protect, the FSF has far more to lose than
    Tim> to gain by daring a court to rule on their beliefs.  Of
    Tim> course the PSF is in a similar boat: both parties would view
    Tim> a lawsuit as a rock-bottom last resort.

Aladdin took a position similar to Martin's, and only yanked the
offending Makefile stanza when the FSF called them and said "we're
ready to go to court; are you?"

    Tim> I wouldn't yank it just to avoid a theoretical possibility
    Tim> that the FSF might complain someday.

It's not theoretical; it's almost identical to the Aladdin case.
Legally the PSF is, if anything, in a weaker position than Aladdin
(which did not distribute the module that interfaced to libreadline in
Ghostscript, but merely a makefile stanza that used it if it were
found).

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