On Saturday 02 March 2002 14:55, John Richter wrote: > Are there any software licenses that are like OpenSource licenses, but > restrict the use of the code in certain domains?
There's a whole class of them, but no one's bothered to give them a name. Take an open source license, add restrictions on to it, and *don't* call it open source. > I ask this because this requirement puts companies with "ethical > practices" rules in a strange position. A company might have a rule saying > that it won't do business with companies that use sweatshop labor, for > example. They couldn't release any code they wrote as open source, because > to do so could violate their ethical practices rule (a sweatshop-using > company might decide to use their open source accounting software, for > example). Personal opinion coming up. You have been warned... To sell a product to a sweatshop is immoral. To deny someone else the ability to sell a product to a sweatshop is also immoral. You have the legal and moral right to refuse to license your software to anyone. But that is a much different thing from telling others what they can or cannot do. Tyranny in the name of freedom is still tyranny. > Does anyone know if there is a sort of "socially responsible" open source > license (a la socially responsible mutual funds)? Socially responsible mutual funds do not tell me how I may or may not spend my profits. -- David Johnson ___________________ http://www.usermode.org pgp public key on website -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
