Open source project adds "no military use" clause to the GPL

newsforge ^ | Monday August 14, 2006 | Tina Gasperson

[nycoem]

Legal Open source project adds "no military use" clause to the GPL Monday August 14, 2006 (04:01 PM GMT) By: Tina Gasperson

Printer-friendly Email story GPU is a Gnutella client that creates ad-hoc supercomputers by allowing individual PCs on the network to share CPU resources with each other. That's intriguing enough, but the really interesting thing about GPU is the license its developers have given it. They call it a "no military use" modified version of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Tiziano Mengotti and Rene Tegel are the lead developers on the GPU project. Mengotti is the driving force behind the license "patch," which says "the program and its derivative work will neither be modified or executed to harm any human being nor through inaction permit any human being to be harmed."

Mengotti says the clause is specifically intended to prevent military use. "We are software developers who dedicate part of our free time to open source development. The fact is that open source is used by the military industry. Open source operating systems can steer warplanes and rockets. [This] patch should make clear to users of the software that this is definitely not allowed by the licenser."

He says some might think an attempt to prevent military use might be "too idealistic" and would not work in practice, but he references the world of ham radio, whose rules specify that the technology is not to be used commercially. "Surprisingly enough, this rule is respected by almost every ham operator."

The developers readily acknowledge that the "patch" contradicts the original intention of the GPL, to provide complete freedom for users of software and source code licensed under it. "This license collides with paragraph six of the Open Source Definition," is how they word it in the license preamble.

Richard Stallman, the founder of the Free Software movement and author of the GPL, says that while he doesn't support the philosophy of "open source," neither does he believe software developers or distributors have the right to try to control other people's activities through restricting the software they run. "Nonetheless, I don't think the requirement is entirely vacuous, so we cannot disregard it as legally void."

"As a pacifist, I sympathize with their goals," says Russ Nelson, president of the Open Source Initiative (OSI). "People who feel strongly about war will sometimes take actions which they realize are ineffectual, but make it clear that they are not willing to take action which directly supports war."

Tegel says he doesn't fully agree with the inclusion of the clause in GPU's license. "I see the point, and my personal opinion supports it, but I am not sure if it fits in a license," he says. "Like our Dutch military: I can say it is bad because it kills people and costs money. But on the other hand, we were taught by both our leftist and rightist teachers to enjoy our freedom due to the alliance freeing us from Nazis, a thing which I appreciate very much."

Both developers do agree about one aspect of their license clause. It is based on the first of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov's Three Law of Robotics, which states, "A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." That, they say, is a good thing, "because the guy was right," Tegel says, "and he showed the paradox that almost any technological development has to solve, whether it is software or an atom bomb. We must discuss now what ethical problems we may raise in the future."

[Golden Eagle]

No I don't play golf, too boring and expensive, plus I prefer to earn my promotions through knowledge and achievement not by brown nosing. So I came back yesterday, meaning of course you couldn't have been any more wrong.

[Golden Eagle]

No, you place defending their rights on the highest possible pedestal of importance, using it as a proxy to defend their ideals. You support Stallman at every opportunity, this being just another example for you to rush out your defense of his "rights".

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

They may not be able to do that if they use third party software integral to their software.

They also may run afoul of the anti-discrimination laws.

[antiRepublicrat]

No, you place defending their rights the rights of all Americans on the highest possible pedestal of importance

There, fixed. Any true American should take that as a compliment now.

[antiRepublicrat]

No I don't play golf, too boring

We keep finding these tiny areas of agreement.

So I came back yesterday

Listen for laughter behind those doors.

[MikefromOhio]

We do and I'm not so har har har

[MikefromOhio]

Wrong again of course, I'm a contractor by choice because I can make more money that way. I've turned down many offers to convert to GS, and still manage all technical aspects of the operation. Based on what I've seen from you here, you'd probably wash out in less than a month, but we don't normally waste our time on ignorant youths to begin with.

LOL whatever. You know you're a GS and you are pissed that contractors are being hired to replace you....

[RightOnline]

Laughable........and pathetic at the same time. When will such people ever actually grow up?

Don't bother.........I know, I know.

[Golden Eagle]

You really don't have any idea how oblivious you are, do you? Ask someone high up what PBD 720 means for contractors, then hope they tell you the truth. But don't count on it, in your case, you're probably the last one they'd want to know.

[MikefromOhio]

You really don't have any idea how oblivious you are, do you? Ask someone high up what PBD 720 means for contractors, then hope they tell you the truth. But don't count on it, in your case, you're probably the last one they'd want to know.

You know you are the joke of this forum right? LOL Anything like a putdown from you I'm taking as a compliment, so keep trying Iggle. I know it will now take you at least 3 hours to come up with a comeback. See you at 10 loser.

[MikefromOhio]

PBD 720

And unlike someone else I can name (his name is in the TO: line), I'm not worried about PBD 720 and if I end up HAVING to worry about it, I have other options. Har har har

[Golden Eagle]

Just got home from work, and found your hilarious post #127. LOL again.

[Golden Eagle]

I'm not worried about PBD 720

I bet you aren't, LMAO. You did the right thing by giving up on ever going to AFITC, at least.

[Jameison]

"Not just the US government, but anyone else. A license is essentially a contract, to be effective, it has to be voluntarily accepted by both parties (licenser and licensee). if the license terms are unacceptable, the correct course of action is to not agree to the license.

I would not use any software that had such a restriction, even though I wouldn't be using it for a military purpose, out of general principle on two basic grounds -- 1) the authors are obnoxious moonbats who are abusing licensing to further a political agenda, and 2) it violates the fundamental principles of open source. "

Couldn't have put it better.
You pretty much summed it up.

[MikefromOhio]

Just got home from work, and found your hilarious post #127. LOL again.

So you just got home from work? So that means your posts earlier where FROM work? LOL!!! You just screwed yourself Iggle.

[MikefromOhio]

I bet you aren't, LMAO. You did the right thing by giving up on ever going to AFITC, at least.

Trust me I'm not. You think I want to continue to work for the Air Force forever? LOL!!! Unlike the person I'm talking too, I have other things I want to do in life and not be a lifelong GS employee.

And your conference really isn't that prestigious, we actually had to have someone volunteer because no one wanted to be there. Har har har.

[MikefromOhio]

Your post times today are:

8:27 AM
2:03
2:07
2:15
2:26
2:35
2:39
2:55
2:59
7:20
7:36 - where you said, like an idiot, that you "just got home from work"

And finally

7:41

Way to post from work Iggle.

[Golden Eagle]

Duh, as I said that's why I wasn't posting, maybe one day you'll figure it out. Where did I say I wanted to stay in the AF? At least I'll be able to say I reached the top, while all you did was surf the web and launch insults at everyone before you were cut.

[MikefromOhio]

Duh, as I said that's why I wasn't posting, maybe one day you'll figure it out. Where did I say I wanted to stay in the AF? At least I'll be able to say I reached the top, while all you did was surf the web and launch insults at everyone before you were cut.

Except I'm launching insults and surfing the web from the confort of my home at the moment. har har har LOL!!!

Again you seem to have this fixation on "reaching the top". Dude you're ALLEDGEDLY JUST a contractor. You have absolutely NO rank. LOL!!!!!! Way to take yourself too seriously knucklehead. And yes, way to post from work loser.

[Golden Eagle]

Wow, you may have figured out I took break at 8:45 this morning then went to lunch at 2:00! But you were still clueless that people can use the internet on their cell phones. Maybe one day you'll actually see someone else with one in person? Or maybe one of your buddies you're pinging has actually seen one, and can tell you about it.