Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!news.unit0.net!news2.euro.net!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.089 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.82; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:skip:c 10': 0.09; 'url:github': 0.09; 'url:im': 0.09; 'url:mit': 0.09; '(there': 0.16; 'bsd': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'license"': 0.16; 'projects:': 0.16; 'roy': 0.16; 'url:licence': 0.16; 'url:licenses': 0.16; 'url:py': 0.16; 'well- known': 0.16; 'subject:python': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'trying': 0.19; 'mon,': 0.24; 'software.': 0.24; 'source': 0.25; 'compare': 0.26; 'least': 0.26; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; '[1]': 0.29; 'am,': 0.29; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'code': 0.31; 'software,': 0.31; '-0700,': 0.31; 'are.': 0.31; 'clever': 0.31; "d'aprano": 0.31; 'steven': 0.31; 'terms.': 0.31; 'open': 0.33; 'says': 0.33; 'trouble': 0.34; 'problem.': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'responsible': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'performance': 0.37; 'problems': 0.38; 'e.g.': 0.38; 'somebody': 0.38; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'either': 0.39; 'major': 0.40; 'read': 0.60; 'company': 0.60; 'details.': 0.61; "you're": 0.61; 'you.': 0.62; 'here:': 0.62; 'license': 0.66; 'world': 0.66; 'incorporate': 0.68; 'search,': 0.74; 'unusual': 0.74; 'analysis': 0.75; 'actually,': 0.84; 'subject:tool': 0.84; 'sue': 0.84; 'url:master': 0.84; 'careful': 0.91; 'lazy': 0.91; 'lift': 0.91; '2013': 0.98 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:x-received:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id :subject:from:to:content-type; bh=cLR86F1xVbRaeWUJfAaIuKW8IL4ra+EP4FcVWMVYBgM=; b=P6rMCWRiBNV28lzEY3SJNXdbx2kpBkU1XHGnAstaKVqtdegOFXl4e6gAO415GXbqcY XCmhtdOVTlS1jzdcJQ00v598D6R8VFUJfR4t4Cwt6w2+Qg2kAY4b3zv9PPOMUYasCSC9 /LinrwLmuLFYhZBcLT1/KEgKKT2x7XpoPcOf9fQD/Vd7y7siVXRfZQowzpjikRAKzYJm RQEiWv6nEwfkWR+SWh2T5wmEx6OkAv34M9ZM9rb2Hqxc3yUeJSOjeXPQSBnnR/I3Mjvq b+K94hwwr3LJmOi9gEbbh4i165xaTZmDVaDT5GWhEsrGiuxCE2jZVNvJRMpsthsazE9Y 3cBQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.66.120.49 with SMTP id kz17mr33571427pab.133.1365390009903; Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:00:09 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <5161f508$0$29995$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <48f984a0-7702-4cba-9021-06c3985646da@googlegroups.com> <5161f508$0$29995$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2013 13:00:09 +1000 Subject: Re: im.py: a python communications tool From: Chris Angelico To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 42 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1365390020 news.xs4all.nl 6933 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:35422 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:43033 On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 8:36 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: > On Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:47:11 -0700, jhunter.dunefsky wrote: > >> Actually, my current licence can be found here: >> https://github.com/jhunter-d/im.py/blob/master/LICENCE. Whaddaya think >> about this, Useneters? > > > I think you're looking for a world of pain, when somebody uses your > software, it breaks something, and they sue you. Your licence currently > means that you are responsible for the performance of your software. > > Why don't you use a recognised, tested, legally-correct licence, like the > MIT licence, instead of trying to be clever and/or lazy with a one-liner? > > E.g. http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT Plus there's the whole brevity thing. If I see something that says "MIT license", I don't need to read the details. Compare the README for one of my projects: https://github.com/Rosuav/Gypsum/blob/master/README (Actually, I need to update that; there are a few solved problems listed there as still open.) You read "Licensed under the BSD Open Source license" and then you can stop reading - you know what your rights are. The lawyers at Roy Smith's company would have no trouble comprehending this, and no trouble deciding whether or not it's allowed - they either do or do not (there is no try). License proliferation is actually a major problem. If I were to lift code from your program and incorporate it into something GPL3, am I violating either's terms? What if I want to put that code into something BSD 2-clause? Am I allowed? At least if you use a well-known license, I can do a quick web search, coming up with something like [1], but a custom or unusual license would require careful analysis of terms. [1] http://www.dwheeler.com/essays/floss-license-slide.html ChrisA