IDABC unveils draft software licence

[MJ Ray]

David GLAUDE <dglaude at ael.be> wrote:
> http://europa.eu.int/idabc/
> Where is this topic beeing openly discussed?

I don't think it is. There is a forum linked to the announcement
of the licence, but it doesn't follow the Web Content Accessibilty
Guidelines, so isn't easy to use.

> Does the FSFE or FSF work on this topic and will they correct some of
> the horible mistake in the folowing document?:
> http://europa.eu.int/idabc/servlets/Doc?id=21197

Wow, where to start? I like FUNDP since way back, but what's their
agenda here? In particular:

1. Why is there repeated pushing of the GPL=viral FUD?

2. The EU already funds work released under a BSD-like licence
(datagrid?) so doesn't that need an urgent fix if the claimed
problems with BSD-style in the EU have any basis in fact?

3. The OSL is not regarded as a free/open licence by all
(in part because of the "licensor's home turf" clauses, I
think), so how can that be the "best" existing licence?

Some parts of it look basically wrong, from memory: the FSF
doesn't offer a GPL compatibility certification scheme for
licences, does it?

Other parts are surprising: the Commission has business
objectives...

> This is far from complete and accurate:
> http://wiki.ael.be/index.php/OpenSourceLicensingOfSoftwareDevelopedByTheEuropeanCommission

I think you should be careful around the licence/contract
thing. It distracts from your other points. I'm not going
to contribute to that wiki, because it's under FDL.

Please let discussion at fsfeurope know if this moves on or
what can be done to help.

Thanks,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef), K. Lynn, England, email see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/