Fwd: Re: Fwd: Re: [DNG] GPL version 2 is a bare license. Recind. (Regarding (future) linux Code of Conduct Bannings).

From: observerofaffairs
Date: Wed Sep 19 2018 - 11:34:05 EST


The CoC will lead only to infighting amongst the contributors, with this new weapon wielded firmly in all participants hands.

It is another example of "looking the gift horse in the mouth"
(Linus telling everyone to [fsck] off is the previous example]
and will only be tolerated by the hirelings. The community contributors will fade away and the complete corporate takeover of the kernel will be complete.

Linux will suffer the same fate as the FreeBSD team (who have lost half their contributors), additionally morally-questionable code (ie: code that befits content owners over the user, code that benefits the security interests of the states over the user, etc) will be folded into the kernel with a smile.

While you are correct regarding most free-software and open-culture licenses, which often include a no-rescission clause, or are stylized as a contract (giving rise to a possible interest defense), it does not apply to version 2 of the GPL specifically (remeber: Linus rejected the any-later-version codicil, thus any license improvements are out of reach regarding the kernel, and v3 has very important improvements). Version 2 of the GPL creates no contractual interests, nor does it contain language that would give clear indication to the grantee that his license will never be revoked by the property owner (who has an absolute right to revoke grants at will, where there is no interest attached to the grant etc).

The Free Software movement is, and will continue to be decimated by this industry-wide advance for the next 5 years at-least, as project after project falls to classic divide and conquer techniques that date to before the Roman empire. Programmers, though brilliant in their specific field, tend to be ignorant of even basic human management practice - and resistant to learn.


On 2018-09-19 08:43, Bruce Perens wrote:
I concur with Richard. Everything I know about the license tells me it
can not be rescinded or withdrawn. It can only be terminated for
infringement.

I understand that codes of conduct added to the group long after your
first participation are frustrating for some, and may even seem
draconian. I see the need for them, and suggest you consider the views
of others.

If you have no alternative, the license allows you to fork the project
and make your own conduct rules.

Thanks

Bruce

On Wed, Sep 19, 2018, 5:38 AM Richard Stallman <rms@xxxxxxx> wrote:

[[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider
]]]
[[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,
]]]
[[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example.
]]]

One is rescission of the license they granted regarding their
code, and
then a lawsuit under copyright if/when the rescission is
ignored.
The others are breach of contract, libel, false light, etc.

If "rescission" is really a possibility, it would cause greast
trouble
for the free software community. We would need to take steps to
make
sure it cannot happen.

However, that goes against everything I have been told by others.

--
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org,
https://fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)