Public Domain Python

[Tim Peters]

[Grant Griffin]
> ...
> But I guess in a very practical sense, the "official caretaker" is
> whomever it is that significant contributors sign over their copyrights
> to at any stage of Python's life.  (We've heard it rumored that CNRI
> made contributors sign over their rights in some form,

Posted those links very recently:

    http://www.python.org/1.5/wetsign.html
    http://www.python.org/1.5/bugrelease.html

Did not assign copyright, did give CNRI broad license to use the code.
Those are the only two forms they asked anyone to submit.  Employees of CNRI
are in a more complicated situation due to CNRI's employment agreements with
them.

> and presumably BeOpen.com does too--though I really don't know.)

No.  BeOpen.com isn't asking for anything.  This may be legally risky, but
that's how Guido wants it.  I'm not sure anymore.  We would like to pretend
we're all grownups, and that people will treat Python fairly because
everyone involved has given so generously and freely to them.  Some days I
think we should prepare to fight jerks to the death, others that we should
remain trusting.  I still get up 9 days out of 10 on the latter side of the
bed, but miss the days when it was 10.

think-i'll-push-my-bed-closer-to-the-wall-ly y'rs  - tim