Do we still need weak copyleft? (was Re: Exceptions to copyleft-next)

[Bradley M. Kühn]

Luna wrote:
> Weaker copyleft licenses are better for some projects, and having
> one compatible with the full copyleft-next license might be nice.

I'm working on an essay that talks about the questions of copyleft
compatibility¹.  While the essay that I'm working on won't directly
address your inquiry, it's a “prerequisite” (of a sort) to help us
all think through what copyleft compatibility really is and how we
might design a weaker “feeder” licenses (i.e., as we have with LGPL ⇒
GPL ⇒ AGPL) that coalesce *into* the strongest possible copyleft, and
what forms of proprietarization are permitted by those that would be
forbidden by copyleft-next (proper).

I'll state frankly that I find the “compatibility” that allows
movement from LGPLv2.1 ⇒ GPLv2 as an unmitigated disaster².
Meanwhile, the movement from LGPLv3 ⇒ GPLv3 ⇒ AGPLv3 is only a
*minor* disaster; it's still clunky, confusing, and oft-abused³.

I've been wondering for years if we (as a community) *really need*
weak copyleft.  FOSS has changed so much since the LGPLv2.1 (1999),
the Classpath Exception (≈2002), and LGPLv3 (2007) were written.

Nevertheless, I am very open to a discussion on this list on *why*
and *whether* we need weak copyleft!

IMO — after 30 years of walking the line between weak and strong
copyleft in my work — I'm starting to wonder if we really need any
weak versions anymore?  … I'm not decided, but “keep it strong” is
how I lean these days.

¹ See email in reply to this one.

² If you doubt me in the least, read LGPLv2.1§3¶1 and post in reply
  your (plural) explanations why it's not a unmitigated disaster.

³ The abuse mainly comes from the Additional Permissions (GPLv3§7¶1)
  and (for lack of a better term, I'll coin one now) Permitted
  Additional Restrictions (GPLv3§7¶3(a-f)) are manipulated by bad
  actors to mistreat downstream and leave them terrified to exercise
  their Further Restriction Removal rights under GPLv3§7¶4.

-- 
     -- bkühn — On Fediverse (via Mastodon): https://fedi.copyleft.org/@bkuhn