4 ms·

OPL - a viral copyleft style patent license

25 points by AndreasBWagner 15y ago

schrototo 15y ago
From the website: The draft versions of the license currently published are practically unreadable. An updated and vastly simplified draft will be published within the next couple weeks. And at the bottom: Last Modified on April 27 2007 08:01:26 UTC
- mkopinsky 15y ago
  I just sent him an email alerting him to this thread and suggesting that with all the talk now about software patents, this would be a ripe opportunity to get other people on board to jumpstart his stalled 2007 idea.
- saulrh 15y ago
  It's even worse than that - "The Problem in a Nutshell" hasn't been edited since 2000. http://www.openpatents.org/nutshell.php http://www.openpatents.org/nutshell.php
aidenn0 15y ago
It seems that something like this might run foul of compulsory licensing.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  What jurisdictions have compulsory licensing of software? To my knowledge, in the US that sort of thing is limited mainly to audio recordings.
Triumvark 15y ago
The Zombie License 1) This license safeguards the rights of the public, and as such, any member of the public has standing to bring suit in its defense. 2) Use of any technologies covered by a zombie license implies agreement to the following: all other technologies currently patented by the user are subject to license under the conditions of this patent. 3) This license is irrevocable for the life of the patent on any covered technology except by full consent of all beneficiaries (ie, by unanimous public referendum). Anyone who loses any patent lawsuit to a holder of these patents becomes a 'Zombie' patent holder. They were using zombie technology, so all of their technology now belongs to the zombies! Anyone can now sue to defend the zombie's patents, and if they win, they turn their victim into another zombie! It converts the whole obnoxious system into a fun self-limiting game of tag. (edit: I know, this probably wouldn't hold water, but think how much fun it'd be if it did.)

From the website: The draft versions of the license currently published are practically unreadable. An updated and vastly simplified draft will be published within the next couple weeks. And at the bottom: Last Modified on April 27 2007 08:01:26 UTC

mkopinsky 15y ago
I just sent him an email alerting him to this thread and suggesting that with all the talk now about software patents, this would be a ripe opportunity to get other people on board to jumpstart his stalled 2007 idea.
saulrh 15y ago
It's even worse than that - "The Problem in a Nutshell" hasn't been edited since 2000. http://www.openpatents.org/nutshell.php http://www.openpatents.org/nutshell.php

aidenn0 15y ago

It seems that something like this might run foul of compulsory licensing.

burgerbrain 15y ago
What jurisdictions have compulsory licensing of software? To my knowledge, in the US that sort of thing is limited mainly to audio recordings.

Triumvark 15y ago

The Zombie License 1) This license safeguards the rights of the public, and as such, any member of the public has standing to bring suit in its defense. 2) Use of any technologies covered by a zombie license implies agreement to the following: all other technologies currently patented by the user are subject to license under the conditions of this patent. 3) This license is irrevocable for the life of the patent on any covered technology except by full consent of all beneficiaries (ie, by unanimous public referendum). Anyone who loses any patent lawsuit to a holder of these patents becomes a 'Zombie' patent holder. They were using zombie technology, so all of their technology now belongs to the zombies! Anyone can now sue to defend the zombie's patents, and if they win, they turn their victim into another zombie! It converts the whole obnoxious system into a fun self-limiting game of tag. (edit: I know, this probably wouldn't hold water, but think how much fun it'd be if it did.)