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Still no new license -- but draft text available

Gordon McMillan gmcm at hypernet.com
Sun Aug 20 07:28:12 EDT 2000 
John W. Eaton wrote:

>Grant Griffin <g2 at seebelow.org> writes:

...

>> In GNUspeak, the "free" part means both "free in a cost sense" and "free
>> in a freedom sense".
>
>Grant, if you reall have read the GPL and all the GNU philosophy that
>you can find on the FSF web site, it seems incredible to me that you
>would make this statement.  

[quotes from GPL preamble]

>Note the first sentence.  ``... we are referring to FREEDOM, not PRICE.''

Ah yes. Richard Stallman says "Think free speech, not free beer". But most 
Copylefters quite explicitly think "free beer". It's a disingeneous 
statement anyway, since "free speech" refers to the right to make 
statements that make others uncomfortable without getting thrown in jail.

>... There are many things
>which I cannot leagally do, such as sell myself into slavery.  

That's more of a logical problem than a legal one ;-).

>Does
>that restriction enhance or restrict my freedom?

That's Orwellian talk. Restrictions on freedom are restrictions on freedom. 
No, we don't live in a world with perfect freedom; that's only possible in 
a world where everyone is sane.

Surely you can see the irony in the fact that the defense of Copyleft is 
based on copyright.

>No need to reply.  By now I think I've heard all the arguments a
>thousand and two times.

Just can't let Grant think he's the only one with more than a couple brain 
cells left ;-).

- Gordon
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