www/licenses license-recommendations.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       20/11/20 11:17:27

Modified files:
        licenses       : license-recommendations.html 

Log message:
        Clarify about future GPL versions.
        Clarify terminology about Apache license.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/license-recommendations.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.44&r2=1.45

Patches:
Index: license-recommendations.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/licenses/license-recommendations.html,v
retrieving revision 1.44
retrieving revision 1.45
diff -u -b -r1.44 -r1.45
--- license-recommendations.html        28 Dec 2019 07:47:32 -0000      1.44
+++ license-recommendations.html        20 Nov 2020 16:17:27 -0000      1.45
@@ -83,9 +83,12 @@
 version of the <a href="/licenses/gpl.html">GNU General Public License
 (GPL)</a> for your project.  Its strong copyleft is appropriate for
 all kinds of software, and includes numerous protections for users'
-freedom.  Please give permission to use future license versions as
-well&mdash;in other words, make the license notice say that your
-program is covered by GPL version 3 or later.</p>
+freedom.  To allow for future license
+upgrades, <a href="/licenses/identify-licenses-clearly.html"> please
+specify &ldquo;version 3 or any later version&rdquo;</a> so that your
+program will be <a href="/licenses/license-compatibility.html">
+license-compatible</a> with code that may be released, in the future,
+under subsequent GPL versions.</p>
 
 <p>Here is more advice about <a href="/licenses/gpl-howto.html">how
 to release a program under the GNU GPL</a>.</p>
@@ -103,16 +106,17 @@
 
 <p>For those programs, we recommend
 the <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0";>Apache
-License 2.0</a>.  This is a pushover (non-copyleft) software license
+License 2.0</a>.  This is a weak, lax, "pushover" (non-copyleft)
+software license
 that has terms to prevent contributors and distributors from suing for
 patent infringement.  This doesn't make the software immune to threats
-from patents (a software license can't do that), but it does prevent
+from patents (no software license can achieve that), but it does prevent
 patent holders from setting up a &ldquo;bait and switch&rdquo; where
 they release the software under free terms then require recipients to
 agree to nonfree terms in a patent license.</p>
 
-<p>Among the lax pushover licenses, Apache 2.0 is best; so if you
-are going to use a lax pushover license, whatever the reason,
+<p>Among the weak (pushover) licenses, Apache 2.0 is best; so if you
+are going to use a weak license, whatever the reason,
 we recommend using that one.</p>
 
 <h4 id="libraries">Libraries</h4>
@@ -298,7 +302,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2019/12/28 07:47:32 $
+$Date: 2020/11/20 16:17:27 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>