Public Domain Python

Tim Peters tim_one at email.msn.com
Thu Sep 14 01:25:51 EDT 2000


[William Tanksley]
> ...
> I had to fight to get my boss to accept Python before; right now there's
> absolutely zero chance.  Grumble, grumble.  Fortunately, it won't stay in
> flux forever; all I would have to do is convince him that the then-current
> license would be stable, in spite of the fact that its owner showed
> tendancies to change it arbitrarily in the past.

Well, we hate that the community had to go through this.  We hate that *we*
had to!  But, Jeez, Billy, *show* them the old and new licenses.  CNRI's has
a lot more words, but about the only new requirement is for a "brief
summary" (note that wording is a little different-- and we hope much
friendlier --than it was before) of changes if you fiddle with the code in
the Python distribution itself.  These licenses aren't much heavier than
thin air!  BeOpen.com promised that all work we do on the Python core will
remain Open Source, and we're in the process of signing binding legal
documents so you don't have to take their word (or ours!) on that either.

> Grumble, grumble.
>
> I guess I'm glad my employers are not actually looking at Python right
> now.  If they were they'd probably make us stop using the version we're
> using now.

Do they use *any* software, then?  Unless everything you use is pure public
domain (in the technical sense), a copyright holder can *always* change the
license on the next release.  I don't mind fighting potentially winnable
battles, but mindless paranoia is its own sweet reward.

sounds-like-your-employers-will-be-an-object-lesson-in-natural-
    selection-and-they-can-sue-for-me-libel<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim






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