GPL 3 Launch Date Announced

Joe Blakesley writes "Today, the Free Software Foundation announced that version 3 of the GNU General Public License will be released on Friday, June 29 at noon (EDT). Live video footage of the GPL's unveiling by Richard M. Stallman will be available as a stream on the FSF's website."

Interesting date to choose...

GPL v3 + iPhone in one day = collective nerdgasm?

Re:Interesting date to choose...

The FSF is not about pleasing everyone. It is about solely furthering the goals of Free Software (not Open Source, not Linux). They will succeed in that.

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Well, how does it hurt it? I mean, its the release of a new software license.. it's unusual that there are any festivities at all. Do you really think they have much hopes for major press coverage?

I'm glad that some people didn't feel the need to clear t

Giving people their due is hard for some.

Yes, I realize that RMS differs on the topic, but really we're all about doing the same thing: making great software available for everyone to share, copy and modify to their heart's content. Can't we all just get along?

But you don't seem to realize why RMS differs. So do compare that ESR essay to "Why "Open Source" misses the point of Free Software [gnu.org]" which, among other things, asks you to consider what is being proposed by the two movements and to give each movement their due. The free software movement isn't just about making software (in fact a lot of people in the free software community aren't programmers at all). The way you frame the issue, it seems that everyone getting along is fine so long as we all choose to call everything "open source" and toss aside the pursuit of freedom and social solidarity that are at the heart of the free software movement (and which the open source movement was built not to talk about).

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Most of the software would surely exist without the FSF, just under a different license.

Gentle reminder. Linux & most other free software couldn't exist if RMS hadn't written GCC. Do you have any idea how much toolchains cost prior to GCC?

Not something

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Yeah, the GPL shouldn't stick its nose into hardware at all. I understand why "Tivoisation" bothers them, but honestly, it's hardware guys, a fairly expensive piece too. The GPL isn't meant to deal with hardware and shouldn't.

Re:Interesting date to choose...

When GPL2 was written, people got music from phonograph records and a touch-tone phone was the most sophisticated input device available in most people's homes. The world changed a whole lot since then. One of the things that changed is that manufacturers gained the capability to lock down software in a way that they could change, but nobody else could. It's fine for them to have that ability, but I am not going to choose to let them do that to software that I write and they do not pay for. I don't see why anyone else would want to either. If they want to lock the code down, maybe it would be a good idea for them to find its authors and buy a commercial license.

Bruce

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Well this certainly is out of the question for the Linux kernel and even most free/open software. With so many contributors and no central authority it would be a herculean task to get everyone to sign off on a commercial licensed version.

One has to wonder

Re:Interesting date to choose...

Well this certainly is out of the question for the Linux kernel

There is BSD for that.

One has to wonder however how much cash a commercial license for some projects would bring in allowing for the funding and development for the free/open version.

Dual-licensing brings MySQL 50 Million Dollars Per Year. Which means that the GPL is a really effective capitalist tool. Folks who oppose it are often looking for a gift, rather than sharing. It seems to me that they should be willing to pay. That would be more fair.

Bruce

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It would work fine. Let's just use iD as a stand-in example for any developer, and we'll use their IT5 engine as a stand-in example for any game engine. We'll also use GPL as a substitute for a suitable game-engine-tailored license with a similar spirit.

1)

It's not to hide the rollout

There are some things in the GPLv3 that will eventually blow up on them, doing this to hide the publicity amongst the Apple fanfare is just par for the course.

You seem to be implying that Stallman is announcing this on June 29th so he can hide behind t

What are the odds

Two people with birthdays on June 29 - thus proving Slashdot has 730 (and a half) users.

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No - birthday paradox refers to the chance of any two people sharing *a* birthday. Not the chance of two people sharing a specific birthday.

Timing

Who'll be watching? They'll all be queued up at the Apple store to buy into the hysteria.

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Right, because otherwise the servers would be flooded by people clamouring to see the latest GPL! But stick with the Apple story, it will make people feel better :) (Its not our fault, people just like dumb ol' apple, that's all!)

Re:Timing

I don't know about anyone else, but I plan to camp out all night in front of the FSF so I can be the first to get a copy of the final version of the GPLv3. Then I'm going to sell it on eBay.

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To quote TFA, "if you are in the Boston area you can also join us at the FSF offices from 11:30am. Please let us know at if you would like to attend.".

So they won't let you in until 11:30 and you should contact them first so they can make sure not to let

Re:

"No retroactive effects on the MS deal. More lines than GPLv2. Lame."

Re:Timing

) "No retroactive effects on the MS deal.

Actually, there are. Novell got let off easy in a way because FSF feels it's more important to use the Microsoft "coupons" to go after Microsoft's remaining patent rights with GPL3 (after doctrine of Laches, etc. has already cost MS most of those rights). But I don't think Microsoft would be very happy about Novell using GPL3 software because of that. How this plays out will be interesting.

Bruce

Re:Timing

And you should not be bothered by the more lines, either. Compare them to the more lines of "intellectual property" legislation like DMCA and the more lines of case law. GPL has to deal with all of that or it will progressively weaken. So what you are really seeing is FSF running as fast as it can to stay still in the context of new law.

Bruce

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Trust me to miss any reference to pop culture. Not enough time in my life. Not even enough sleep, this time.

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Hey, do I actually have to care about the FSF to get one of those c00l fsf.org email addresses?

No, not at all. Just to pay them monthly, you can otherwise loathe them.

I need a new permanent email provider

Well, they are just redirects, 5 in total I

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The line for the iPhone hasn't quite started here in Palo Alto yet. I saw three girls standing in front of the closed Apple store on University Avenue last night, and asked if they were in line for the iPhone launch. But no, they were just waiting for t

Video streaming?

Does the FSF often do video streaming? Are there any video streaming methods/codecs/packages that are are sufficiently `free' for the FSF's tastes, and are installed already on enough systems that somebody might be able to view it?

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Are there any video streaming methods/codecs/packages that are are sufficiently `free' for the FSF's tastes

It's going to be a Windows Media file...

Re:Video streaming?

Yes, they use video streaming [fsf.org] sometimes. "Often" is to strong a word, but they have been doing it more as of late due to the GPLv3 process. To sum it up, it's Vorbis and Theora.

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I think you've missed the point. Those are just videos downloaded via HTTP (which, sure, you could, from the users' point of view, stream, although it mightn't be very reliable and isn't what HTTP is designed for). With this video, it will be live so the

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They could just use Icecast from Xiph (the same people who develop the standards for Ogg, Vorbis, Theora, FLAC, XSPF, etc.) I believe.

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I'm the submitter and TFA doesn't actually say video, just live streaming. I was embellishing as I kind of assumed it would be video as audio wouldn't really be very interesting—I guess RMS would have to read the GPL or something...or maybe he could

Why date linked?

I submitted this and am intrigued by why ScuttleMonkey has made one change to the story as submitted: moving the link to the announcement from the word "announce" to the date (which isn#t even the date of the announcement). Bizarre.

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The W3 does not recommend hyperlinks on verb phrases [w3.org].

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The note you link to is for when the verb relates to the reader, their UA or the author. When the linked verb has the same semantics as a noun that describes the target, as in this case, that is different (and I'm sure I've seen the W3C doing that). It i

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BTW, they are called the W3C. The W3 is the World Wide Web.

Also, further to my previous post, looking at it again, I admit they do explicitly say no verb phrases. However, too quote from the start of the note you link to, a link should:

1. provides some

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What, and you think what is optimistically called a Slashdot "Editor," of all people, would know (let alone care) about W3 recommendations?! HA!

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They probably meddle and make random changes because of the whiners.

How are they going to unveil it?

I mean, it isn't a physical object. Print it out and frame it? Throw copies into the crowd? A reading by Stallman himself (followed by a license signing)?

Re:How are they going to unveil it?

A reading by Stallman himself (followed by a license signing)?

If you could somehow bottle that concept you would cure insomnia the world over.

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Print it out and frame it? Throw copies into the crowd? A reading by Stallman himself (followed by a license signing)?

I'm not sure if you're kidding or not. I can see them all happening. Seriously. There is already a GPL for framming available at the FS

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Just write it out, in its entirety, on a giant poster, or engrave it in its entirety on a large metal plaque. Use a large font and all-caps. Cover the engraved GPLv.3 with a cloth until the time of unveiling; then lift the veil, and there it is!
Stallma

Re:How are they going to unveil it?

...then lift the veil, and there it is!

At which time a large audible *gasp* from the crowd, and sweeping pan of the aforementioned veiled area shows that, in-fact, the GPL has been STOLEN! An audible laughter is heard over the loud speakers...

In A.D. 2007, GPL3 was beginning.

Stallman: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the iPhone.
Operator: We get signal.
Stallman: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Stallman: It's you !!
JOBS: How are you gentlemen !!
JOBS: All your publicity are belong to us.
JOBS: You are on the way to destruction.
Stallman: What you say !!
JOBS: You have no chance to survive make your time.
JOBS: Ha Ha Ha Ha ....
Operator: Stallman !! *
Stallman: Take off every 'Zig' !!
Stallman: You know what you doing.
Stallman: Move 'Zig'.
Stallman: For great justice.

Le Denounement

How can you unveil something that's been through a year of public drafting?

Woah!

Richard Stallman and the Deadly Hallows!

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Deathly Hallows, sir. It's Richard Stallman and the Deathly Hallows.

No offense, but with his hair and beard, I've always thought of him as more of a Hagrid.

Java and OpenSolaris Going GPL 3?

Excellent news!

I'm curious about when Sun plans to GPL 3 Java, OpenSolaris, along with ZFS, DTrace, and hopefully NetBeans.

SP1

I'm going to wait for SP1 before I upgrade.

Tattoo

Gotta update my tattoo, Which was the GPL-2, But from the looks of v3, Should be hours of agony!

Re:Tattoo

Hah! See what you get for not including that "And any later version" language.

Re:Does it still have that web distribution clause

That is the Affero GPL, a separate license.

Re:Is it just me???

You don't need to agree with the GPL to use the software. For an end-user that just uses the software the GPLv3 doesn't change anything, and most of it doesn't apply anyway, since its focus is on redistribution, code availability and code change. The GPL is however important for people that develop the software and that is why the GPLv3 is important.

It means a lot to users; someone must make sw!

The GPL doesn't limit USE of the software, so in that very narrow sense it doesn't matter to users. But that's such a narrow sense as to be meaningless.

If you want to use software, you must have software to use. If you want to have software to use, the