Rewriting GPL No Easy Task

Web services have the potential to break the GPL's back.

Presently, anybody can use and modify GPL'd code for any legal purpose and without obligation so long as they do not re-distribute the code in binary-only form without making the source code available, or incorporate it into non-GPL'd code that is distributed.

That makes GPL'd code very useful.

Now, think about the web service world. You are not distributing the code -- but rather you are permitting people to use the code on your servers. It might even be true that non-GPL'd code, like apache, is handling the direct interface with your users.

How do you write a license that affects the web service in a meaningful way without also having an impact on the kind of use that the GPL has always allowed, even encouraged?

Another thing -- It's not remotely clear to me that web services have a negative impact on freedom. Has RMS forgotten what originally drove him to start the FSF? He wanted to fix a buggy printer driver and couldn't get the source code. Who needs to fix anything on a web service unless they are actually the ones running the service?

Methinks this could be pointless stretch into la-la land, more an exercise of power than freedom.

I think you're overthinking this. Web apps are made of code just like any other application. So I don't see why it would affect licensing or code distribution at all. Just like any other server- mail, web, ftp, whatever.

Dean, Overthinking?!?! I guarantee that's not the problem there. :P

(all in good fun) -- FeriCyde

Not overthinking this at all.

The FSF is concerned that web apps are a way to bypass the no binary distribution provisions of the GPL. In other words, instead of passing out the program for others to use, you pass out access to the program and run it yourself.

Under the present GPL, that's completely hunky-dory.

Some people think that it shouldn't be, though I am not one of them. The problems I discussed are big part of why. I don't see you effectively keep somebody from doing a "binary only" web service without also seriously restricting the freedom of use that people have today.

Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!!