Modifying Open Source Licenses

[Richard Weait]

On Sun, 2009-03-22 at 16:06 -0400, Scott Elcomb wrote:
> Right now I'm incredibly mad and might not be thinking all that
> clearly.  I want to blog on this, something I may yet do, but I think
> it a topic to put to the community first and seek opinions.  (Perhaps
> it's been discussed somewhere before?)

Blog it.  But think it over for a few days before publishing.

> Atomic OS development has suffered for a number of reasons - one of
> which is that I'd (now - almost -) like to introduce modifications to
> my license (LGPL) that would almost certainly make it non-free.
> 
> Anyway, over the last year or so I've noted numerous referrers in my
> logs that relate to w4r3z or pr0n - certain danger for unwary web
> users and the reason for products like NoScript.  As a programmer with
> an interest in clean/safe JavaScript I find a deep ethical problem
> here.  I want to preserve the freedoms we have as FOSS developers but
> at the same time I would like to help prevent grotesque abuses.
> 
> During a random investigation today I encountered a vile web-space
> connected to one of the referrers (reporting it as required by law)
> which brings me to the question:  Can open licenses be "reconfigured"
> to support ethical initiatives against "social diseases" like hate,
> violence and/or exploitation?

You are free to make your own license.  You are free to license your own
code as you choose.  Only a fool would suggest otherwise.  

I just want to make sure I understand what you are saying has happened. 

Are you saying that it appears that not-nice people are using your
software in their activities of being not-nice.  And are you saying that
you don't want to them to use your software for doing not-nice things,
and not-nice related things?  

Freedom Zero - is the right to run the program for any purpose.  So
restricting use to nice things only, suggests that your new license
won't be compatible with Free licenses.  

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