Re: [DotGNU]Call for a truce over mono vs pnet

[David Sugar]

> > Whoa here as well, the limitations of code copying occurred when Ximian
> > changed to the X11 license for the library.  Don't try turning
>
> No, our libraries were LGPL before, so we couldn't have used your GPL
> libraries as well before the license change.
I will comment within the scope of this particular topic alone in 
regards to project cooperation; When the Mono libraries were still LGPL, 
it would have been very easy for cooperation to exist in this area.  In 
fact, I personally happen to think the LGPL is probably the most correct 
license to apply in this area, and for us to similarly have made pnetlib 
available under the LGPL, to make this form of cooperation possible in 
the past, if we had simply been asked, would not have been a difficult 
decision to make.  Clearly in that timeframe it would have been the 
correct one for it really is not efficient to duplicate libraries.

I happen to strongly believe that copyleft protection is nessisary for 
free software to survive and flourish.  The LGPL is a reasonable 
pragmatic compromise that would not have interfered with it's use with 
proprietary applications and yet would permit and assure the pnetlib 
work itself to continue to be available as free software.  The GPL (and 
LGPL) also makes a statement that those who use and depend on the 
library can be assured not only that the library itself will remain 
free, but that the freedom offered will not be superceeded or sabataged 
by patent claims the original authors may later try and assert to those 
who have become dependent on it.  

The X license makes no such clear disclaiming of possible patent claims, 
current or future, as well as permitting the possibility that the 
library can be later spun into a proprietary one.  I do not believe we 
can in good concisenesscons make pnetlib available under such a license, 
for it would do a disservice to ourselves, to our contributors, and 
especially to our users.  In fact, while it is true as you noted that we 
can possibly use X11 licensed code in pnetlib, and even perhaps 
relicense such code under the GPL, whereas the new Mono libraries 
clearly cannot absorb or permit GPL (or LGPL) contributions, the reality 
is that the situation with possible submarine patent claims would highly 
discourage us from activily using Mono library code.  In this sense, the 
Mono license change has made it far less desirable for us to reuse Mono 
library code and certainly prevents Mono from using pnetlib.  For this 
reason, I personally believe the Mono license change is a major step 
backwards for both projects.

David