LinuxWorld SF: GPL upgrade due in 2007

Paul Krill   Today’s Top Stories   or  Other Software Development Stories  

Gain a faster, cheaper way to manage workload From Laggard to Leader: Transforming the Data Center Google's Universal Search for Business Keeping Pace with Changing Business Needs - Requirements Change Management Extending COBOL to SOA, Web Services and Beyond Extend, Replace, or Convert; which is the best way forward for COBOL Applications? Sold on SOA The Business Value of Tape Storage Computerworld Technology Briefing: An open-source path to optimal virtualization Sign up to receive Software Development Resource Alerts

August 11, 2005 (InfoWorld) -- The planned upgrade to the GNU General Public License (GPL) will be ready by 2007, according to an industry official involved with the project.

Presenting at the LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Eben Moglen, president and executive director of the Software Freedom Law Center and a key participant in the planned Version 3.0 of GPL, cited issues expected to be covered in the upgrade. These include resolving patent conflicts, accommodating Web services and resolving incompatibilities with other licenses. Dealing with wikis in the GPL also has been pondered.

The Free Software Foundation, which has jurisdiction over the GPL, seeks compatibility with The Apache Software Foundation's license, said Moglen, who serves on the Free Software Foundation's board of directors.

"We will take some steps to increase the compatibility of the GPL with some non-GPL licenses whenever possible, without adversely affecting freedom," Moglen said. Lately, companies such as Sun Microsystems Inc., with its Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL), have developed their own brands of open-source licenses.

Moglen didn't mince words when speaking on what his foundation thinks about patents. "Its position is that the application of patent law to software is dangerous and unproductive," he said. "All we're saying is the disastrous, 15-year American experiment with patenting software ought to be terminated."

Patent conflicts have clouded open-source development, with developers and others fearing that the open-source code they distribute may unknowingly be subject to someone else's patent and attendant royalties. "Everybody understands the patent problem is deeply serious," Moglen said.

Version 3.0 isn't about fixing or repairing the GPL but bringing it up to date after a long life for GPL 2, he added. "We have been using GPL 2 for quite a while, and 15 years is probably long enough. It's about time for a change."

However, he also stressed, "we will do nothing [to change the GPL] that we have not studied exhaustively."

Foundation President Richard Stallman will ultimately make judgments on what transpires with the new GPL, Moglen said.

A draft of GPL 3.0 is expected in late 2005 or early 2006, followed by a full calendar year of discussions, revisions and other input, Moglen said.

The move to the new GPL will likely take place in the first few days of 2007. Some 150,000 individuals around the world are expected to comment, with Version 3.0 expected to be the largest, nongovernmental act of legislation in the history of the world.

A global conference on translation of the GPL is likely to be held in Europe, and a follow-up event may occur in Asia. The upgrade of the GPL will be international and involve advisory committees.

Moglen

Continued...
1 | 2 | NEXT  

Reprinted with permission from

For more enterprise computing news, visit Infoworld.com
Story copyright 2006 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build Microsoft explains Seinfeld-Windows TV ad: just a 'teaser' Mozilla: Firefox is faster than Chrome More top stories...

iPhone 3G owner sues Apple, AT&T over dropped calls, app crashes At 10, Google reiterates commitment to CIOs Analysts: Google spreading itself too thin

Microsoft warns of IE8 lock-in with XP SP3 Users of Windows XP SP3 who try out IE8 Beta 2 won't be able to uninstall either one under certain circumstances. Opinion: Why Google has lost its mojo -- and why you should care Google has gone from innovative upstart to fat-and-happy industry leader in what seems like record time. Preston Gralla explains. Review: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 offers some nifty new features Microsoft's latest beta of IE8 includes better tab management, new services such as Web Slices and Accelerators, and the new 'porn mode.' IT Schools to Watch 2008 These leading-edge graduate schools are moving at the pace of the IT workplace, delivering coursework that's relevant to today's IT professionals. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland Security Apple's iPhone Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader Bill Gates steps down BlackBerry Legal Battle Data Security Breaches Electronic Voting Firefox H-1B Visas HP's Boardroom Scandal Handheld Devices Hurricane Katrina Aftermath Microsoft Legal Issues Microsoft's Vista Open Source RFID Technology SCO's Linux Fight Sarbanes-Oxley Act Spam Voice Over IP Wi-Fi Windows Meta File Vulnerability Windows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class 2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders 2006 Salary Survey 2007 Best Places to Work in IT 2007 IT Forecast 2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders 40 Years of Computerworld ASPs, Take Two Best Places to Work in IT 2003 Best Places to Work in IT 2004 Best Places to Work in IT 2005 Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Business Intelligence Home Runs Business Intelligence: Smarter BI Business Intelligence: The Future of BI CRM Goes Vertical CRM: Sober CRM Career Planning Guide 2005 Careers: IT Profession 2010 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005 Data Management: Mining for Gems Data Management: Taming Data Chaos Development: Hard-Workin' Web Sites Development: New Tools New Choices Development: The New World of Application Development Development: The Web Services Tsunami Development: Web Services Hurdles Disaster Recovery: Preparing for the Worst E-commerce Grows Up E-mail/Groupware: Big Decisions Faces of Mobile IT Forecast 2006 Global Mobile Hardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple Challenges Hardware: On-Demand Un-Hyped Hardware: The Shape of Things to Come Horizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge Technologies IT Management: Guide to Managing Vendors IT Management: Navigating Global IT IT Management: Recovery Ahead IT Management: The Future of IT IT Management: The Resourceful Project Manager Innovative Technology Awards 2004 Management: Reinventing IT Microsoft in Transition Mobile/Wireless Leaders and Laggards Mobile/Wireless: The Untethered Worker Mobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge Costs Network Management: Taking Control Networking: Turbulence Ahead! Networking: VoIP Goes Mainstream Operating Systems: In the Slow Lane Operating Systems: Linux Goes Global Operating Systems: Should You Nix Unix? Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's Guide Outsourcing: Outsourcing Dangers Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in Class Premier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in Class ROI: Do the Math! Salary Survey 2003 Salary Survey 2004 Salary Survey 2005 Security Action Plan Security: Compliance Headaches Security: Proactive Security Security: Risk and Reward Security: Tips From Security Pros Souped-up Security Storage: Battling Complexity Storage: Cheap & Secure Data Stores Storage: Stretching Your Storage Dollars Storage: The Lean Storage Machine Storage: The New Rules of Storage Storage: The Ultimate Backup Guide Supply Chain: Missing Links Supply Chain: RFID Reality Check The Business of Security Web 2.0 Security Wireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone The File Data Management Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone Windows Protection Zone Identity & Security Management Zone See your link here

Sold on SOA (Source: Computerworld) It's the hot technology for most large companies, but business, technical and cultural issues must be addressed for a successful SOA implementation. Get the whole story, from the big picture to the how-to-do-it details, in this Executive Bulletin. Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for Free, compliments of Fujitsu. Download this executive briefing  Virtualization Everywhere Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix. (Source: Citrix) Adoption of virtualization is concentrated among large enterprises, while adoption by mid-sized companies has been much slower. For these companies, the cost and complexity of server virtualization solutions has been a barrier. In this paper, we'll discuss how Citrix XenServer" provides simple, economical server virtualization for any size company. Download now! Download this white paper  From Laggard to Leader: Transforming the Data Center From Laggard to Leader: Transforming the Data Center Register for this complimentary live webcast today! Go to the webcast  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Death to PST: Hidden Cost of Email Mismanagement Extend, Replace, or Convert; which is the best way forward for COBOL Applications? The Trend from Unix to Linux in SAP Data Centers View more whitepapers

• Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build
• iPhone 3G owner sues Apple, AT&T over dropped calls, app crashes
• Microsoft explains Seinfeld-Windows TV ad: just a 'teaser'
• More top stories 

SQL Anywhere Developer Edition Download SQL Anywhere is the industry-leading mobile and embedded database. Designed for database-powered applications that operate in frontline environments without onsite IT support, SQL Anywhere offers enterprise-caliber features in a database that is easily embedded and widely deployed in server, desktop, remote office and mobile applications. Download the free SQL Anywhere Developer Edition