Re: [Gnash] Gnash licensing

[Rob Savoye]

Gervase Markham wrote:

> I am not arguing for relicensing Gnash simply because that will lead to 
> it having more users or more popularity. (If that were my goal, I would 
> be arguing that you should licence it under BSD terms.) I am arguing for 
> relicensing it because I think that more users will get given more free 
> software and so have more freedom.

  One of the main platforms for Gnash is running the standalone player 
on embedded GNU/Linux systems. I anticipate that actually there will 
likely be as many people using it that way than as a plugin. So I'm not 
really that worried about "market acceptance" as I am in creating a 
flash player that can run in many environments where there is zero flash 
solution. The plugin is just another output device to Gnash.

  I fully understand the differences between "free software" and "open 
source software", and to me freedom is more important than having more 
users. I think Gnash will actually be a better plugin than the 
proprietary one over time, as free software is usually better tailored 
to the real needs of the user base.

  That said, Gnash will stay GPL'd. As a developer, that is my 
preferred license to write code under. I appreciate the wonderful 
browser the Mozilla and Firefox teams have created, but can't see any 
real reasons to change the Gnash license. RMS has said he can add an 
exemption to the GPL to cover it's use as a plugin. If that works for 
you, that works for me.

        - rob -