Python License Issues

[Alex Martelli]

Michael Chermside wrote:
        ...
> Of couse I should point out that this is ALL theoretical. There is no
> way that you could provide such a service unless you are a good-sized
> insurance firm, and there is no corporate lawyer in the world who is
> going to allow such a policy to be written (despite the fact that (in my
> opinion) it would never have to pay out anything).

If your opinion that you'd never have to pay out on such policies
is firm enough, why would you need a good-sized insurance firm or
any corporate lawyers?  Set up in business for yourself (maybe in
Guernesey, Virgin Islands, wherever) and start selling these "you
pay me a premium and I'll assume a liability that will never come
to pass" policies, for whatever the market will bear.  If your
opinion is correct, you should make enough money to live out the
rest of your life in ease (or at least to get the kids an ice
cream now and then, if the market basically shares your own
opinion and thus 'will bear' little:-).  If your opinion turns
out to be wrong, you'll forfeit whatever sureties you put up to
convince your customers that your policies are worth buying, or,
if you have unlimited liability (as Lloyds used to), then you'll
forfeit basically everything.

My personal opinion on this issue isn't firm enough to prompt me
to do any such thing, but surely the profit potential for those
whose opinion _is_ firm indeed should be alluring...?


Alex