[wp-hackers] WordPress and GPLv3

[Pixline]

Roy Schestowitz:

> [...] While much of the coversation has drifted towards Tivoization,  
> which is
> the more controversial part of the licence, I worry more about other
> aspects, such as software patents.
> [...] There are companies with very broad
> patent portfolios and even prior art would cost a fortune to get  
> hold of
> and show in a court a law. [...]

About GPL3, my personal alert is user's *real* freedom.
As the linux kernel developers said [1]:

"While we find the use of DRM by media companies in their attempts to  
reach into user owned devices to control content deeply disturbing,  
our belief in the essential freedoms of section 3 forbids us from ever  
accepting any licence which contains end use restrictions."

I think that there's many aspect of that licence that WILL create some  
trouble to the WordPress community, from keeping probably-distinct  
licence information for every external library involved in the  
codebase, to a notable loss of code and contributions, and worst of  
all, this will happens because WordPress has a conservative approach  
on some things, but acts the opposite about its licence. Quite nasty.

I feel like GPL3 is a long and unreadable way to say "we used to trust  
you people, but since some of you aren't nice, we let you have almost- 
all-your-freedom". I think that's not nice - to many of us in this  
list - hear this from WordPress.

This is a matter of attitude, in the WordPress scenario: compatibily  
vs. lobbying.
And for the same reason Matt and the core team choose to not support  
"go php5" campaign, I think that WordPress needs to remain GPL2.

And please trust me, I'm not used to mix math with code: the *reason*  
for both were the same, the *matter* - obviously - not. :-)


[1] http://lwn.net/Articles/200422/

Paolo Tresso
- pixline.net code monkey
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