Licensing Status of Python 1.5

[Tim Peters]

[Warren Postma]
> As we are using Python 1.5 in our commercial applications, I have a few
> questions about the Python 1.5 (not 1.6/2.0) license.
>
> I am hoping for assurance that (a) it's not legal or enforceable to claw
> back priveleges previously granted to the 1.5  source code which
> has already been released, and (b) any new restrictive licensing for
> 1.6 will in no way affect the use of 1.5.

I believe you when you say you're looking for assurance, but I can't imagine
why you hope to get it on Usenet.  Whatever legal advice you get here is
worth somewhat less than you paid for it <0.2 wink>.

That said, Guido and I are in the process of working up a License FAQ, which
we *hope* to entice CNRI to agree to review and sign off on jointly.
Questions about the status of past Python releases are in the FAQ.  However,
at this time, there's no assurance anything will come of that.  The only
assurance you're ever going to get in that case will come from your own
lawyers or from CNRI directly.  By the way, have you asked CNRI?  They
probably won't bite you <wink>.

For the absolutely nothing that it's worth, my personal beliefs are that 1.6
licensing cannot possibly affect use of releases prior to 1.6, and that
current users of (say) 1.5.2 cannot have their privileges revoked without
cause.  At least one lawyer is known to exist who disagrees with the latter
part of that, though.  Go figure.

better-still-ask-someone-who-practices-license-law-ly y'rs  - tim