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www/philosophy netscape-npl.html netscape-npl.h...
|
From: |
Yavor Doganov |
|
Subject: |
www/philosophy netscape-npl.html netscape-npl.h... |
|
Date: |
Mon, 21 May 2007 19:48:44 +0000 |
CVSROOT: /web/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Yavor Doganov <yavor> 07/05/21 19:48:44
Modified files:
philosophy : netscape-npl.html
Removed files:
philosophy : netscape-npl.html.gw-diff
Log message:
* netscape-npl.html: Use relative links, fix quotes and dashes; moved
the preface as "announcement". Minor formatting changes.
* netscape-npl.html.gw-diff: Deleted; useless cruft.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/netscape-npl.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.11&r2=1.12
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/netscape-npl.html.gw-diff?cvsroot=www&r1=1.2&r2=0
Patches:
Index: netscape-npl.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/philosophy/netscape-npl.html,v
retrieving revision 1.11
retrieving revision 1.12
diff -u -b -r1.11 -r1.12
--- netscape-npl.html 7 Apr 2007 08:26:43 -0000 1.11
+++ netscape-npl.html 21 May 2007 19:48:20 -0000 1.12
@@ -9,20 +9,20 @@
<p>
by <a href="http://www.stallman.org/";><strong>Richard Stallman</strong></a></p>
-<div id="rms-image"></div>
-
-<p>
-(The <a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl-old.html"> original version</a>
+<div class="announcement">
+<blockquote><p>
+The <a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl-old.html"> original version</a>
of this article was written in March 1998 about a draft of the NPL.
Our first article on the subject was
<a href="/philosophy/netscape.html">Netscape is considering making
-the Netscape browser free software</a>.)</p>
+the Netscape browser free software</a>.)</p></blockquote>
+</div>
<p>
The Netscape Public License, or NPL, as it was ultimately designed in
-1998, is a free software license--but it has three major flaws. One
-flaw sends a bad philosophical message, another puts the free software
-community in a weak position, while the third creates a major
+1998, is a free software license—but it has three major flaws.
+One flaw sends a bad philosophical message, another puts the free
+software community in a weak position, while the third creates a major
practical problem within the free software community. Two of the
flaws apply to the Mozilla Public License as well. Because of these
flaws, we urge that you not use the NPL or the MPL for your free
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
The first problem I noticed in the NPL was that it does not give
Netscape and the rest of us equal rights, as the GNU GPL does. Under
the NPL, we can use Netscape's code only as specified in the NPL, but
-Netscape can use our changes in any way at all--even in proprietary
-licensed versions of the software.</p>
+Netscape can use our changes in any way at all—even in
+proprietary licensed versions of the software.</p>
<p>
The problem here is subtle, because this does not make the program
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
<p>
One proposed solution for this asymmetry is to put a time limit on
-it--perhaps three or five years. That would be a big improvement,
+it—perhaps three or five years. That would be a big improvement,
because the time limit would deny the problematical deeper message.</p>
<p>
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
<p>
The NPL has the form of a copyleft; it explicitly says that all
modifications made by users must be released under the NPL. But this
-applies only to modifications to the existing code--not to added
+applies only to modifications to the existing code—not to added
subroutines, if they are put in separate files. As a practical
matter, this means it is easy to make proprietary changes if you want
to: just put the bulk of your code into a separate file, and call the
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@
try to use copyleft at all, yet X.org is free software nonetheless.
BSD is also non-copylefted free software (although the older BSD terms
have a <a href="/philosophy/bsd.html">serious drawback</a> and should
-not be imitated--if you want to release non-copylefted free software,
-please use the X.org terms instead). NPL-covered software is also <a
-href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html";>free software</a>
+not be imitated—if you want to release non-copylefted free
+software, please use the X.org terms instead). NPL-covered software
+is also <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">free software</a>
without being copylefted, and this by itself does not make the NPL
worse than other non-copyleft free software license.</p>
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@
must be free. So it does not leave a loophole for making changes
proprietary by putting them into a separate file. To close this
loophole, the GPL does not allow linking the copylefted program with
-code that has other restrictions or conditions--such as the NPL.</p>
+code that has other restrictions or conditions—such as the
+NPL.</p>
<p>
Being incompatible with the GPL does not make a program non-free; it
@@ -126,16 +127,16 @@
<p>
Solving this by changing the GPL is possible, but that would entail
-abandoning copyleft--which would do more harm than good. But it is
-possible to solve this problem with a small change in the NPL. (See
-below for a specific way of doing this.)</p>
+abandoning copyleft—which would do more harm than good. But it
+is possible to solve this problem with a small change in the NPL.
+(See below for a specific way of doing this.)</p>
<h4>4. A note about names</h4>
<p>
NPL stands for Netscape Public License, but GPL does not stand for GNU
Public License. The full name of our license is the GNU General
Public License, abbreviated GNU GPL. Sometimes people leave out the
-word ``GNU'' and write just GPL.</p>
+word “GNU” and write just GPL.</p>
<p>
(This is not a problem, just a fact that you should know.)</p>
@@ -147,8 +148,6 @@
and rationally explain to Netscape the importance of solving it.
Solutions are available; they just have to decide to use them.</p>
-<hr />
-
<p>
Here is a possible way to permit linking NPL-covered code and
GPL-covered code together. It can be done by adding these two
@@ -174,8 +173,8 @@
<p>
It permits people to release modifications to such combined works
-under the terms of the GNU GPL--but the easiest way to release them is
-under the NPL.</p>
+under the terms of the GNU GPL—but the easiest way to release
+them is under the NPL.</p>
<p>
When people take advantage of A.2, their changes will be released only
@@ -185,9 +184,10 @@
<p>
However, the NPL gives proprietary software developers an easy way to
-make their changes entirely unavailable to Netscape--by putting their
-code into separate files and calling the combination a Larger Work.
-In fact, this is easier, for them, than A.2 is for GPL users.</p>
+make their changes entirely unavailable to Netscape—by putting
+their code into separate files and calling the combination a Larger
+Work. In fact, this is easier, for them, than A.2 is for GPL
+users.</p>
<p>
If Netscape feels it can live with the trouble of (effectively)
@@ -208,10 +208,10 @@
<p>
Please send FSF & GNU inquiries to
<a href="mailto:address@hidden";><em>address@hidden</em></a>.
-There are also <a href="http://www.fsf.org/about/contact.html";>other ways to
contact</a>
+There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
the FSF.
<br />
-Please send broken links and other corrections (or suggestions) to
+Please send broken links and other corrections or suggestions to
<a href="mailto:address@hidden";><em>address@hidden</em></a>.
</p>
@@ -223,9 +223,10 @@
</p>
<p>
-Copyright (C) 1998, 2003, Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
-<br />
-Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is
+Copyright © 1998, 2003, 2007, Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+</p>
+<address>51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA</address>
+<p>Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is
permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is
preserved.
</p>
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@
<p>
Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2007/04/07 08:26:43 $
+$Date: 2007/05/21 19:48:20 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@
<!-- and that it is like this "2001, 2002" not this "2001-2002." -->
<div id="translations">
-<h3>Translations of this page</h3>
+<h4>Translations of this page</h4>
<!-- Please keep this list alphabetical, and in the original -->
<!-- language if possible, otherwise default to English -->
@@ -260,25 +261,18 @@
<!-- http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/iso639.htm -->
<ul class="translations-list">
-
<!-- English -->
<li><a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.html">English</a> [en]</li>
-
<!-- Spanish -->
<li><a
href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.es.html">Español</a> [es]</li>
-
<!-- French -->
<li><a
href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.fr.html">Français</a> [fr]</li>
-
<!-- Indonesian -->
<li><a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.id.html">Bahasa
Indonesia</a> [id]</li>
-
<!-- Dutch -->
<li><a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.nl.html">Nederlands</a> [nl]</li>
-
<!-- Polish -->
<li><a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.pl.html">Polski</a> [pl]</li>
-
<!-- Russian -->
<li><a
href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.ru.html">Русский</a> [ru]</li>
</ul>
Index: netscape-npl.html.gw-diff
===================================================================
RCS file: netscape-npl.html.gw-diff
diff -N netscape-npl.html.gw-diff
--- netscape-npl.html.gw-diff 5 May 2005 19:37:15 -0000 1.2
+++ /dev/null 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 -0000
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-*** /usr/www/html/philosophy/netscape-npl.html Fri Apr 17 17:39:05 1998
---- /usr/www/html/philosophy/netscape-npl.html.out Thu Aug 13 10:20:19 1998
-***************
-*** 246,252 ****
-
- Please send FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to
-
-! <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>.
- There are also <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">other ways to
- contact</A> the FSF.
- <P>
---- 246,252 ----
-
- Please send FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to
-
-! <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>.
- There are also <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">other ways to
- contact</A> the FSF.
- <P>
-***************
-*** 255,261 ****
-
- <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>,
- send other questions to
-! <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>.
- <P>
- Copyright (C) 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
- 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
---- 255,261 ----
-
- <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>,
- send other questions to
-! <A HREF="mailto:address@hidden";><EM>address@hidden</EM></A>.
- <P>
- Copyright (C) 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
- 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
-***************
-*** 265,271 ****
- <P>
- Updated:
- <!-- hhmts start -->
-! 17 Apr 1998 rms
- <!-- hhmts end -->
- <HR>
- </BODY>
---- 265,271 ----
- <P>
- Updated:
- <!-- hhmts start -->
-! 13 Aug 1998 grat-w
- <!-- hhmts end -->
- <HR>
- </BODY>
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