[Zope-dev] ZPL and GPL

[Barry A. Warsaw]

>>>>> "JA" == Jerome Alet <alet@unice.fr> writes:

    JA> For Zope it's not sure, but for Python, as well as for all
    JA> what people usually call "open source" languages, the license
    JA> of choice should be the GPL, or at least the LGPL, in order
    JA> for the language in question to not become bastardized by some
    JA> powerful entity.

I think I'm accurately channeling Guido when I say that Python will
never be GPL'd.  AFAIK, there is no GPL code even in the standard
Python distribution.  Both of those states of affair are by conscious
decision: regardless of what you think of the GPL (and I personally
happen to believe it can be a good license for /some/ software, but
not all) GPL'ing Python would be a very bad thing.  Guido has always
intended for people to do whatever they want with Python, including
using it in everything from closed source, proprietary, big-$$$
software to completely free software.  That's been a key to Python's
success, IMO.  I don't think anybody's really concerned that forking
and bastardizing is a real threat.  Heck, if you include
Jython/JPython, .NET Python, Vyper, and Stackless there are already
forks of Python out in the world getting real use.  (C)Python's
success hasn't suffered one bit, in fact, it's probably /benefitted/
from them.

Cheers,
-Barry