DGPL

[Bernhard Reiter]

Hi Andrés,

thanks for sharing your thoughts.
This list is indeed global, though operated by FSFE (which is one of the few 
independent major FSFs in the world, the others are FSF, FSFI and FSFLA).

Some others have already pointed out some problems with the terminology
and the legal side of adding more requirements towards a GNU AGPL license.
I agree with them and I am also not convinced by the idea so far.

Am Sonntag, 8. März 2009 22:29:31 schrieb Andrés G. Aragoneses:
> The mechanism to protect the developer tools here would be to add an
> additional clause that states that, if the DGPL software is used for
> aiding/helping/supporting the development of other software, and this
> resulting software is distributed in any form, it should be DGPL as
> well. (The 'D' stands for "Developer".)

Several GNU licenses already have a clause which affects part of the 
development tools, e.g. GNU GPLv3:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0-standalone.html
Section 1:
  The “Corresponding Source” for a work in object code form means all the 
source code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable work) run the 
object code and to modify the work, including scripts to control those 
activities. However, it does not include the work's System Libraries, or 
general-purpose tools or generally available free programs which are used 
unmodified in performing those activities but which are not part of the work. 
[..]

6. Conveying Non-Source Forms:
  You may convey a covered work in object code form under the terms of 
sections 4 and 5, provided that you also convey the machine-readable 
Corresponding Source under the terms of this License, in one of these ways:
[..]

Arguably this does not cover all development tools used in the process,
and your idea is to get a grip an those as well. My point is that some are 
already covered which reduces the need for your idea.

Note also that using a proprietary development tool hurts the developer itself 
by restricting certain levels of open development. So there are already quite 
a few practical incentives to use open development tools
even without this being forced in a license. 

Best,
Bernhard

-- 
FSFE -- Coordinator Germany                                   (fsfeurope.org)
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