Why I use the GPL and not cuck licenses(lukesmith.xyz)
4 pointsby joebuckwilliams2 hours ago4 comments
  • spacedcowboyan hour ago
    Don’t think my opinion has changed much since the last time this was posted on HN…

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46624402

  • wasting_time2 hours ago
    The GPL isn't strict enough now that everyone has a copyright laundering machine at their disposal.

    I've been experimenting with adding a "translation" clause in accordance with the GPL paragraph 7, where if by means of automatically translating the project to a different language (by transpiling or machine learning) the license is retained, but not necessarily the copyright.

    So far I'm not happy with the results by Claude and ChatGPT. Probably I should talk to a lawyer.

    The GPLv3 was largely invented to prevent tivoization, we need GPLv4 now to prevent copyright laundering.

  • buffer_overlord2 hours ago
    What’s wrong with MIT?
    • hackermailmanan hour ago
      Usually it's paired with an Apache license to prevent patent lawsuits but the problem was that anyone could make a proprietary fork and then actively steal your labor. For example Apple yoinking the BSD packet filter and wrapping their own proprietary license around enhancements.

      With LLMs can we even legally license software because some projects like OpenBSD claim there is no international law yet for code not written by humans.

  • microgpt2 hours ago
    This important topic comes up regularly on HN. I think the current consensus here is that we should all be writing software for free for our capitalist overlords, but I'm not sure if it's still the case.

    The cuckoldry analogy is very apt.

    • DamonHD2 hours ago
      This is simply rude and wrong in its claims that (all) people (such as me) using BSD and Apache licences are doing so out of ignorance, rather than because we know and want the effects that they have.

      This childish inflammatory bile rather hurts the standing of GPL and friends, which do have appropriate applications too.

      Nuance would have been a fine thing.

      • microgpt2 hours ago
        What effects do you want? There is a section at the end of the post about appropriate uses of cuck licenses. Namely, when the software has network effects so that sharing it widely is more important than making sure it only has free versions.
        • DamonHD2 hours ago
          I very much want my (open sourced) code to be used by anyone who wants to use it, in any context, including commercial, and with Apache I also want the patent protection effects.

          Using such an inflammatory term to refer to someone's non-preferred style of licence is unhelpful to reasonable debate.

          • microgptan hour ago
            Why do you want that?

            The term "cuckold" isn't inflammatory. Some people enjoy watching their partners have sex with others - and they're aware that they do. If a developer enjoys aiding Google and Amazon without getting paid or even recognized, they have the right to do so. But if they're tricked into it, that's a problem.

            • DamonHDan hour ago
              It's my (open source) code and I want to make it widely available, ie as open as reasonably possible, including cases such as my past small start-ups with no budget and not able to release everything open source. Why do I have to justify or explain that "why"?
            • minimaxiran hour ago
              > The term "cuckold" isn't inflammatory.

              You cannot detach it from the a) contemporary usage of the term and b) the original post uses "cuck" very intentionally to evoke said contemporary usage.