Re: People calling the GPLs 'evil licenses' - action plan?

[wolftune]

This is the hypocritical version of the two anti-copyleft positions. The 
non-hypocritical is the one that opposes proprietary software but also dislikes 
copyleft limitations. Such as the copyfree.org angle. That's a principled but 
somewhat extreme position like anarchy, opposing all government regulations of 
creativity.

This Chris person is making a stupid argument. He's saying that it's perfectly fine to 
block anyone from doing anything with some software by using a proprietary license but 
it's somehow evil to permit software freedoms via GPL. Graciously pointing out the 
hypocrisy is a good step. Just say, "if you think it's okay for me to use a 
*proprietary* license, what's wrong with using copyleft to *allow* people *more* freedom 
than the proprietary licenses?"

Chris is asking to have it both ways. He's asking to assert that expat license 
is more free and freedom is good *and* that proprietary terms are fine. If he 
cares about freedom, he shouldn't be okay with proprietary terms. If he's okay 
with proprietary terms than he isn't focused on freedom and shouldn't mind GPL 
whether or not it's free in his view. Focus on that issue and skip the debate 
about which of expat or GPL is more free.



On 2022-05-17 8:52 a.m., andrew via libreplanet-discuss 
<libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> wrote:
> Andrew  Would https://git.andrewyu.org/pygame-multiplayer/ suffice to indicate 
> extending an existing Expat (MIT) project into a project based on the original 
> work but licensed under the (A)GPL?
> Andrew  ugh, forgot to place the agpl in it
> ChrisWarrick    ask a lawyer
> ChrisWarrick    (and consider a less evil license)
> Andrew  Not asking for legal advice, just general practice
> Andrew  And I don't consider the GPLs to be evil, I use  them for bigger 
> projects while I use public domain (unlicense) for smaller ones
> ChrisWarrick    licenses are legal stuff, so you are asking for legal advice
> Andrew  asking stuff like 'does the US have any laws' is legal but isn't asking 
> for legal advice imo
> ChrisWarrick    your question is “am I interpeting and using the license 
> correctly”
> Andrew  i guess
> Andrew  and why do you think the gpl is evil?
> ChrisWarrick    GPL, and especially AGPL, makes your code less free than MIT/BSD
> nedbat  Andrew: this is a classic debate
> Andrew  ChrisWarrick: PM me, thanks
> Andrew  because I want to prevent people from proprietizing it
> ChrisWarrick    but at the same time, you’re benefitting from Brandon Nguyen’s 
> work
> Andrew  yes
> ChrisWarrick    but he isn’t able to benefit from yours
> Andrew  they could use the AGPL/GPL, and they could ask me for an exception
> Andrew  the greater danger is people taking expat code and proprietizing it, 
> hindering free use altogether
> ChrisWarrick    what is wrong with proprietary use though?
> Andrew  i'll get back to you with an article tomorrow, thanks on your thoughts
> Andrew  meanwhile, 
> https://lukesmith.xyz/articles/why-i-use-the-gpl-and-not-cuck-licenses explains 
> part of it
> Andrew  dont agree to all of it, i see a lot of use of permissive licenses, but 
> not for the project working on now
> ChrisWarrick    do you have a less offensive article?
> Andrew  I'm working on that
> ChrisWarrick    okay
>
> I hope this is clear enough on what I need ... well, how do I explain
> the GPL to them?
>
>
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