what is your favorite software licence? :)

[TheRingmaster]

I am pulling my choices from this address
http://www.topology.org/soft/lice.html

I like polls like this because it makes you think outside the box.

If I missed any just say other and specify

[po0f]

... I like polls like this because it makes you think outside of linux. ...

Where's Microsoft's EULA then? ;)

[TheRingmaster]

that is a little too far outside of linux for me ;)

[Dual Cortex]

In my 5-week-old life in the Linux world, I am already tired of Licenses, ethics, etc.
Yeah, tired of ethics.

;)

[Iandefor]

I like the GPL and LGPL the most :).

The LGPL a little more because it grants people wanting to use LGPL code the ability to license their own code under a different license, while still keeping the LGPL'ed code open.

There are very good reasons for having it the other way in the GPL, but the LGPL just seems less pushy in that regard.

[steven8]

This is my favorite license!! :-)

http://h1.ripway.com/steven8/licenseplate.jpg

[Dr. C]

Where's Microsoft's EULA then? ;)

Which Microsoft EULA? There are many different ones. There is a big difference between the Microsoft EULA for Windows 3.1 and the Microsoft EULA for Windows Vista. I much prefer the one for Windows 3.1 between the two.

But seriously the best is the GPL v2 or later. The entire concept of copyleft software licensing was an act of genius on the part of RMS. Preserving the user's freedoms while allowing the creation of a multi billion dollar industry around free software is nothing short of incredible.

[IYY]

I like the GNU license best. Just like the American constitution (the way it was originally designed, not the way it is being currently interpreted), it not only grants Freedom, but also ensures that the Freedom is preserved. A piece of software licensed in a way that only gives Freedom, like the BSD, is doomed to eventually lose that Freedom. Not that the BSD project itself will stop being open-source, but it can very well be driven out of the market by a closed-source fork that adds features, removes Freedoms, and is better marketed. For example, Microsoft could very easily do something like this, and is known for similar "embrace-extend-extinguish" tactics.

[BWF89]

BSD, GPL, and LGPL

The LGPL a little more because it grants people wanting to use LGPL code the ability to license their own code under a different license, while still keeping the LGPL'ed code open.
I like it for that reason also.

[TheRingmaster]

I like the GNU license best. Just like the American constitution (the way it was originally designed, not the way it is being currently interpreted), it not only grants Freedom, but also ensures that the Freedom is preserved. A piece of software licensed in a way that only gives Freedom, like the BSD, is doomed to eventually lose that Freedom. Not that the BSD project itself will stop being open-source, but it can very well be driven out of the market by a closed-source fork that adds features, removes Freedoms, and is better marketed. For example, Microsoft could very easily do something like this, and is known for similar "embrace-extend-extinguish" tactics.

very interesting

maybe we can discuss the BSD licence further in this thread. I am currently studing the freebsd os and this info is greatly needed.

[aspro]

I like the BSD licence, the complaints about the BSD code being improved upon by proprietary licenced code, who cares? If people cared about the open software principles (as they should) then they wouldn't use it, if they don't then they can use better software? No one loses? The BSD licence doesn't hamstring technology with ideological constraints.

[iPower]

Sell your soul software licens

;)