Article:		Why Human Rights Requires Free Software
Subject:		Brett, your objection is pointless
Date:		2002-10-12 17:50:13
From:		adamsj
Response to: Human rights require truly free software, not the FSF's "Free" (Not!) software
Your objection is to the use of the GPL in commercial software. Andy Oram's entire article is about non-commercial software for human rights workers. Thus, your objection is pointless. Further, every license restricts the rights of those who accept it. For this reason, your final sentence (which finally gets around to the issue at hand) does not reach a valid conclusion.

Showing messages 1 through 5 of 5.

• Brett, your objection is pointless
  2007-08-09 02:41:37  crosbie [Reply | View]
  
  
  Well, the GPL does a very good job of restoring most of the licensee's right to liberty (otherwise suspended by copyright and patent) even if the obligation to publish source with binaries does interfere with the licensee's right to privacy.
  
  The GPL is almost a completely rights restoring licence.

• The above is dead wrong.
  2002-10-13 00:03:46  brettglass [Reply | View]
  
  
  You write:
  
  >Your objection is to the use of the GPL in commercial software.
  
  Not so at all. I object to the promotion or use of the GPL in ANY context, but PARTICULARLY in cases where it could impact the economic development of nations. The GPL strips humans of the fundamental right to earn a living by improving technology. That's unacceptable.
• Now that you've clarified...
  2002-10-13 06:30:46  John Adams [Reply | View]
  
  
  ...please explain exactly how the use of GPL-licenced software specifically for use in human rights work has an impact on commercial software or economic development.
  
  Also, I'm curious exactly what you mean by "the fundamental right to earn a living by improving technology". I wasn't aware that I had a fundamental right to earn a living in any trade.
• Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  2002-10-13 13:25:57  brettglass [Reply | View]
  
  
  Article 23
  
  (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
  
  (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
  
  (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
  
  (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
  
  (See http://www.udhr.org/UDHR/udhr.HTM)
  
• which point...
  2002-10-17 21:40:13  david_given [Reply | View]
  
  
  hola,
  
  I am not sure which one of the above points you think covers:
  the fundamental right to earn a living by improving technology
  
  can you elaborate?
  
  thanks
  davids