"Lawrence E. Rosen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > Will it be better if you take out the word "perpetual" and > > add another section on duration of license something like this: > > > > 16. Duration. This license shall be in force until > > the expiration of copyright in original work or the > > unequivocal and irrevocable dedication of the original > > work to the public domain, whenever happens first. In > > no way this license will be terminated any time before > > then. > > > > That way, lay people and judges will understand that you > > do not mean the license to be overreaching, beyond the > > scope and term of copyright. > > I was pleased to discover, after I published OSL version 2, that it was > a full page shorter than the GPL. That fact alone increases the chances > that licensors and licensees will actually read it and try to understand > its implications and limitations. While your proposed language would > indeed speak the truth, the cost of those words in terms of readability > and public understanding is prohibitive. :-)
As a programmer, I don't think the proposed change would be better. After all, if I choose the OSL, then those are the terms I want. The fact that the OSL expires when copyright expires is actually a drawback, not a benefit. I understand and support the idea that copyright expires, but if the OSL could carry on beyond that point, that would be what I want. If I wanted something else, I would pick a different license, perhaps a time bomb OSL or something. Ian -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
