[OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION] GPL version for code in documentation (was: Please Vote on Evergreen Documentation Licensing)

[Karen Collier]

Since there hasn't been an outpouring of opinions on the matter and in the interest of fairness to those who have already voted on the original proposals as written, let's continue the voting on the original proposal - GPL version 3 or higher.  If it becomes apparent at some point in the future that version 2 or higher would better serve the needs of the community, then perhaps we can exercise part 3 of the proposal and hold a vote on whether or not to make it available under that copy-left open source license.  If anyone feels the need to change their vote, the deadline stands at January 4.

Thanks everybody and sorry for the confusion.  :)

Karen

----- "Karen Collier" <kcollier at kent.lib.md.us> wrote:

> I think I may have misunderstood Dan's post and given a too hasty
> reply.  Do we need some discussion on the merits of GPL version 2 or
> higher versus GPL version 3 or higher before continuing the vote on
> part 2 of the proposed licensing?  Does anyone have an opinion on the
> matter one way or the other?  Or any insights to offer?
> 
> Thanks,
> Karen
> 
> ----- "Karen Collier" <kcollier at kent.lib.md.us> wrote:
> 
> > I think the intent of using the GPL, at least in my eyes, was to
> keep
> > the Evergreen code base and any code in the documentation in sync
> as
> > far as licensing goes.  It was purely by accident that I linked to
> a
> > specific version of the GPL, and that it turned out not to be the
> one
> > the Evergreen code uses.  Oops!
> > 
> > Let's continue the vote with the understanding that we're referring
> to
> > the same version of the GPL that the Evergreen code base uses.  For
> > simplicity, let's have those who have already voted, speak up only
> if
> > this clarification changes your vote.  Is this agreeable?
> > 
> > Thanks for pointing this out Dan.  I'll be sure to use your
> language
> > when I put together official licensing statements.
> > 
> > Karen
> > 
> > ----- "Dan Scott" <dan at coffeecode.net> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Mon, 2009-12-21 at 11:06 -0500, Karen Collier wrote:
> > > > As discussed at the Documentation Interest Group Meeting on
> > > December, 9, 2009, I am calling for a vote on Documentation
> > Licensing.
> > >  Members of the Documentation Interest Group and interested
> members
> > of
> > > the Evergreen Community, please vote yes or no on the following
> > > proposals by Monday, January 4, 2009 by replying to this email on
> > the
> > > Evergreen Documentation mailing list
> > > (open-ils-documentation at list.georgialibraries.org).
> > > > 
> > > > 1 - Official Evergreen Documentation produced by the
> > Documentation
> > > Interest Group should be licensed under the Creative Commons
> > > Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License
> > > (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
> > > > 
> > > > 2 - Any code included in the official documentation produced by
> > the
> > > Documentation Interest Group should also be made available under
> > the
> > > GNU GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html).
> > > 
> > > I have to point out one small technicality; the version of the
> GNU
> > > GPL
> > > that is linked to is the GPL v3.0, whereas the OpenSRF and
> > Evergreen
> > > code is GPL v2 or later (I _think_ we've applied the "or, at your
> > > option, any later version" redistribution clause consistently,
> when
> > > we
> > > have included the license header in source files).
> > > 
> > > Oddly enough, the GPL v2 and GPL v3.0 are incompatible according
> to
> > > the
> > > creators of those licenses; to use code licensed under "GPL v2 or
> > > later"
> > > with GPL v3.0 code, one must choose the "or later" option and
> > > relicense
> > > the code under the GPL v3.0.
> > > 
> > > I'm not opposed to the GPL v3.0 - among its benefits, it adds
> > > explicit
> > > patent grants where the GPL v2 only carries an implicit patent
> > grant,
> > > and is written to comply with copyright laws worldwide instead of
> > > only
> > > American copyright law - but we might want to keep the same "GPL
> > v2,
> > > or
> > > at your option, any later version" redistribution clause for the
> > code
> > > in
> > > the documentation, simply to keep it in sync with the OpenSRF /
> > > Evergreen code base. Then, if at some point the project opts to
> > move
> > > to
> > > the GPL v3, we can bring the documentation along too.
> > > 
> > > My apologies for not providing this clarification earlier. Can we
> > > consider the following a friendly amendment to the proposals?
> > > 
> > > Change:
> > > 
> > > 2 - Any code included in the official documentation produced by
> the
> > > Documentation Interest Group should also be made available under
> > the
> > > GNU
> > > GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html).
> > > 
> > > To:
> > > 
> > > 2 - Any code included in the official documentation produced by
> the
> > > Documentation Interest Group should also be made available under
> > the
> > > GNU
> > > GPL version 2
> > > (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html),
> > > including the "or, at your option, any later version"
> > redistribution
> > > clause.
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION mailing list
> > > OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION at list.georgialibraries.org
> > >
> >
> http://list.georgialibraries.org/mailman/listinfo/open-ils-documentation
> > 
> > -- 
> > Karen Collier
> > Public Services Librarian
> > Kent County Public Library
> > 408 High Street
> > Chestertown, MD 21620
> > 410-778-3636
> > _______________________________________________
> > OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION mailing list
> > OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION at list.georgialibraries.org
> >
> http://list.georgialibraries.org/mailman/listinfo/open-ils-documentation
> 
> -- 
> Karen Collier
> Public Services Librarian
> Kent County Public Library
> 408 High Street
> Chestertown, MD 21620
> 410-778-3636
> _______________________________________________
> OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION mailing list
> OPEN-ILS-DOCUMENTATION at list.georgialibraries.org
> http://list.georgialibraries.org/mailman/listinfo/open-ils-documentation

-- 
Karen Collier
Public Services Librarian
Kent County Public Library
408 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-3636