@ralfn

> For example, imagine Digital Ocean using MongoDB to store server configurations. AGPL would force them to open-source their whole infrastructure. All of it. Or pay to get a different license.

AGPL licenses aren't transitive, things that touch AGPL'ed software over the network aren't suddenly required to be AGPL licensed (otherwise the whole purpose of it would fall apart, since a large chunk of the initial design was for Free Software web-applications which could still be run in proprietary web browsers).

AGPL means if you decide to fork a project and add new features, then sell it as a hosted service ala AWS/Azure then you also have to provide anyone that connects to it your modified source code. I'm actually debating using the license right now in a couple of projects I've been prototyping - I don't want to prevent people from being able to make money offering hosted services, but at the same time I don't want hostile SaaS forks that could rip off my work without contributing their changes back (I like the BSD license for libraries, but I'm starting to appreciate the GPL/AGPL more for applications for community-related reasons rather than free software righteousness).

Note that the official MongoDB C driver is Apache licensed, which is what most developers would make a derivative work from.

https://github.com/mongodb/mongo-c-driver/blob/master/COPYIN...

That's fine because Mongo is a company that plans on making money and holds the copyright. If it turns out AGPL is an issue they can relicense.

The worry with RethinkDB was (at least mine and people I talked to) that it can become a liability if the AGPL turns out to be an issue since some third party owns the original copyright and then who knows what happens with future contributions.

Yeah, that would be a great example of AGPL used to FORCE many parties to PAY for a non-AGPL license.

For example, imagine Digital Ocean using MongoDB to store server configurations. AGPL would force them to open-source their whole infrastructure. All of it. Or pay to get a different license.

I don't have a moral argument to make here -- just making sure people realize the actual trade-offs. AGPL is theoretically for a world where closed source software is simply not allowed to co-exist with opensource, even if you don't distribute it, but simply run it / host it / use it. But that world doesn't exist, so it does the opposite: it is actually used to make sure some of your users have to pay. It enables a business model.

I don't think that's even possible today, if you arent born on the Mars :-)

I read the_mitsuhiko's comment with the same interpretation as Doctor_Fegg, and, as a native English speaker, i believe that this is the natural interpretation.

I also believe it makes sense. Perhaps i can restate it. the_mitsuhiko made five assertions:

1. The AGPL is not just an updated GPL, but expands the scope of the GPL's 'infective' property considerably.

2. Some people are uncertain about what exactly the consequences of using AGPL'd software are.

3. Because of this uncertainty, there are companies which will not use AGPL'd software.

4. The AGPL is an open source license, but it is neither the only nor the most representative open source license.

5. Some people wish to license their software in a way which maximises the number of people who can use it. That means not using the AGPL, because of point 3.

I believe the English-language term is "letter of the law" for literal interpretations and "spirit of the law" for interpretations based on what something is meant to do.

When is the last time you looked at the OSI approved license list? Of the most common licenses the EPL and CDDL licenses are incompatible with GPL (I suspect it's similar for the AGPL since it's a modified GPL license). When you look through the full list you will see a lot more. Basically read https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.en.html#GPLIncompa... and see all the free software licenses that are incompatible with the GPL. Most of those are OSI approved.

Yes, but then don't talk about "freedom to use"... if something else must be done before that usage.