[Labs-l] Question: json license not free enough?

[Luis Villa]

[Background: the json license is neither OSI-open nor FSF-free, and never
will be. So we would discourage using it on tool labs. Response to Silke
inline.]

On Tue, May 28, 2013 at 7:05 AM, Silke Meyer <silke.meyer at wikimedia.de>wrote:

> Hm. At the same time this means we have to have licenses that are
> free-free-free and Terms of Use of Wikimedia Labs that state what is
> forbidden/"evil" (no cracking, no illegal content). I understand legal
> experts may a problem with that license but to me this still seems
> funny.
>

Free and open source licenses give freedom to the user of the software. The
user of the software can then use that freedom however they want -
including, of course, limiting their own use. So there is no contradiction
here.

With regards to this specific license, and the widely-known story about IBM
negotiating an exception: Negotiating exceptions to bad licenses is a bad
idea, because it encourages people to use bad licenses - it means we pay
the penalty for their bad choice, instead of them. We also have limited
resources, and it is generally a better use of those resources to encourage
the authors to switch to OSI-approved licenses, so that everyone, not just
Wikimedia, can benefit and participate.

Hope that helps clarify-
Luis



> Cheers, Silke
>
>
> 2013/5/28 Johannes Kroll <johannes.kroll at wikimedia.de>:
> > On Tue, 28 May 2013 11:03:18 +0200
> > Jérémie Roquet <arkanosis at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> 2013/5/28 Johannes Kroll <johannes.kroll at wikimedia.de>:
> >> > On Tue, 28 May 2013 09:58:59 +0200
> >> > Silke Meyer <silke.meyer at wikimedia.de> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Here: A toolserver user is running javascript validators (explained
> at
> >> >> [1]) that are licensed under the json license [2]. He read that it's
> >> >> not free enough because it states "The Software shall be used for
> >> >> Good, not Evil."
> >> >> Is this a reason to exclude a tool from running in Tool Labs? o_O
> >> >
> >> > I would hope so. Is this a joke license? It certainly can't be OSI
> >> > approved... It would be fun to watch a court define the line between
> >> > Good and Evil, though...
> >>
> >> It's a non-free license anyway… which has already proven to be
> >> problematic for some users such as IBM and Google, see
> >> http://dev.hasenj.org/post/3272592502/ibm-and-its-minions or
> >> http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10422338-264.html .
> >
> > I think we should be serious about getting one of those "use for evil"
> > permissions.
> >
> > And printing it on T-Shirts! :D
> >
> > But seriously, with an unenforceable statement like that, the
> > whole license may be invalid... IANAL, of course... And it does make
> > the license non-free by OSI definition, I think... It is similar to
> > exclusive statements like "This software may not be used by the
> > military" which also makes a license non-free...
> >
> > --
> > Johannes Kroll
> > Softwareentwickler
> >
> > Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | NEU: Obentrautstr. 72 | 10963 Berlin
> > Tel. (030) 219 158 26-0
> >
> > http://wikimedia.de
> >
> > Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e.V.
> > Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg
> > unter der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das
> > Finanzamt für Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/681/51985.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
> --
> Silke Meyer
> Internes IT-Management und Projektmanagement Toolserver
>
> Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Obentrautstr. 72 | 10963 Berlin
> Tel. (030) 219 158 260
>
> http://wikimedia.de
>
> Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e.V.
> Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg
> unter der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das
> Finanzamt für Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/681/51985.
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Luis Villa
Deputy General Counsel
Wikimedia Foundation
415.839.6885 ext. 6810

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