Will the GPLv3 Resolve Anything?
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2007-03-08 12:42:27 UTC
- Modified: 2007-03-08 12:45:08 UTC
The release of a
GPLv3 draft
is imminent. It is intended to address the Novell deal, as well as similar deals of this kind. A very recent
interview with a lawyer, however, seems to suggest that, as it stands, the licence remains 'exploitable'. This might explain the
recurring delays.
The GPLv3 is not an agreement between two specific parties; instead, it is an agreement between a community of software developers, on the one hand, and one or more users of the software, on the other hand.
Comments
Shane Coyle
2007-03-08 15:39:55
Especially since I believe GPL2 and GPL3 are to be somewhat incompatible, I fear most projects will at best dual-license under 2 & 3, or eschew v.3 altogether.
Even if GPL3 has no remotely exploitable security flaws, the fact that it is an entirely new and incompatible contractual platform will retard uptake. How many enterprises are running mission-critical apps on NT4 still?
FSF needs to address the loophole(s) in GPLv2 and produce an updated version of that (call it 2.1, 2.5, whatever) as well to protect developers.
It's all about choice, no?