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#copyleft

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Bradley Kuhn<p>An employee of Cook/Jobs, <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://front-end.social/@jensimmons" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>jensimmons</span></a></span>, asks on a copylefted platform what she can do improve to <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/WebKit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WebKit</span></a>.</p><p>The answer is simple: Comply with the LGPLv2.1 —as your track record on that is abysmally poor. Participate with upstream projects rather than manipulating them so you can control them.</p><p>Employees of your company used to be forbidden from talking to FOSS communities. You've spent decades working against <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyleft</span></a>. But you now follow Microsoft's plan to “embrace, extend, &amp; extinguish” <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/FOSS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FOSS</span></a>.</p>
Bradley Kuhn<p>Under v3, it's surely a violation,<br><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://social.coop/@cwebber" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>cwebber</span></a></span>.</p><p>GPLv3 group is unique among <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyleft</span></a> licenses in that “modify” is defined:<br>&gt; ”To ‘modify’ a work means to copy from or adapt all or part of the work in a fashion requiring copyright permission”</p><p>If you need copyright permission to add the REST API calls (which of course you do), then GPLv3§12 kicks in immediately if Chatgpt's license or ToS or TaC in *any* way contradict GPLv3's terms.</p><p>Bob's your uncle &amp; you violate copyleft.</p><p>Cc: <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://freeradical.zone/@suetanvil" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>suetanvil</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@jmax" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>jmax</span></a></span></p>
Bradley Kuhn<p>So you know of course the AGPLv3 nor any <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyleft</span></a> license would never prohibit anyone from using the software to say anything they want. Even Trump uses AGPLv3 Software now to give us his edicts.</p><p>But, there is something truly uncouth about using a Mastodon instance to encourage people to apply for jobs to proprietarize what is otherwise <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/tags/FOSS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FOSS</span></a>.</p><p>Big Tech and its cronies of course are without honor.</p>
Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://gamerplus.org/@screwlisp" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>screwlisp</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@amszmidt" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>amszmidt</span></a></span> </p><p>The beauty of <a href="https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/tags/libre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>libre</span></a> licensing, specifically the <a href="https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/tags/Copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Copyleft</span></a> subset, is that the world doesn't have to depend on the behaviour of one company - others can fork the code. Examples of that happening abound. Not so with proprietary. I'm also not a fan of 'weak' <a href="https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/tags/libre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>libre</span></a> licenses, e.g. BSD &amp; MIT, etc. And I revile software patents (see <a href="https://softwarepatents.org.nz" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">softwarepatents.org.nz</span><span class="invisible"></span></a>)</p><p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://emacs.social/@eduardoochs" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>eduardoochs</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://climatejustice.social/@kentpitman" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>kentpitman</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/@dougmerritt" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>dougmerritt</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://appdot.net/@mdhughes" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>mdhughes</span></a></span></p>
Dave Lane :flag_tino: 🇳🇿<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://gamerplus.org/@screwlisp" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>screwlisp</span></a></span> I'm familiar with neither anggtwu.net/#eev nor <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://emacs.social/@eduardoochs" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>eduardoochs</span></a></span> I"m afraid. <br><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://climatejustice.social/@kentpitman" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>kentpitman</span></a></span> </p><p>For what it's worth, I've made a career out of producing nothing but <a href="https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/tags/libre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>libre</span></a> (<a href="https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/tags/Copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Copyleft</span></a>) software &amp; providing related services... 31 years now. I'm against proprietary on principle: <a href="https://davelane.nz/proprietary" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">davelane.nz/proprietary</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/@dougmerritt" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>dougmerritt</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://appdot.net/@mdhughes" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>mdhughes</span></a></span></p>
dorotaC<p>About <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/GPL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GPL</span></a> .</p><p>If I buy a second-hand device with <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Linux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Linux</span></a> on it, who's responsible for giving me the sources?</p><p>It seems logical to me that the person I bought it from. But good luck getting sources from a private rando ( <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/sustainability" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sustainability</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/reuse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>reuse</span></a> ). </p><p>On the other hand, my <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/ISP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ISP</span></a> sells me, say a <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Huawei" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Huawei</span></a> device. Is the ISP obliged to give me sources or can they say "it's not our problem" and send me to the manufacturer?</p><p><a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/askfedi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>askfedi</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyleft</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/copyright" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyright</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/opensource" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>opensource</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/freesoftware" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>freesoftware</span></a></p>
Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )<p>From: blenderdumbass . org</p><p>A large majority of people confuse privacy with data protection. And lately I'm noticing an uproar of ideologies that claim to be pro-freedom in one way or another, but which threaten freedom as a whole. I think there is a certain copyright mentality to them. Certain misunderstanding of ownership which makes fighting for freed...</p><p>Read or listen: <a href="https://blenderdumbass.org/articles/the_copyright_mentality" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blenderdumbass.org/articles/th</span><span class="invisible">e_copyright_mentality</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/copyright" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyright</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/endCopyright" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>endCopyright</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/copyleft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>copyleft</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/libre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>libre</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/piracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>piracy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/privacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>privacy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/dataProtection" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dataProtection</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/AiArt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AiArt</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/philosophy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>philosophy</span></a></p>

Do you know any #arabic , #spanish or #mandarin #translator who might be interested in translating storyseedlibrary.org/ , a #solarpunk #art and #writing site with lots of #Copyleft materials?

Sadly, there's no funding for the project, only bringing more human-made, intentional, optimistic #climate #futurism materials to new audiences!

Story Seed LibraryWelcome to Story Seed Library!A library of Solarpunk art and story seeds helping you imagine a better climate future!
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∃ some “double agents” inside $MSFT. (I wish I still had insider informants like the old days,but they've moved on.)

Microsoft was the instigator of the ongoing loosely coordinated cross-company campaign to denigrate copyleft.

Propaganda & indoctrination are real. Most pick “MIT's license” —seemingly “jus' cuz” — but really b/c they've worked in an entrenched anti-copyleft regime their whole career…& b/c their bosses must give special permission to ever use a #copyleft license.

Cc: @Jessica

With the help of the AIs, I pioneered this, which the AI itself called its "progressive" license, lol. What do you guys think? I should publish this license faster than spending time worrying about what others or I think.

I named it "Progressive Creative Honour Licence" because the license is evolving to adapt to the current circumstances, both online and offline, especially moral issues. I use the date and time as the version name.

Progressive Creative Honour Licence: The Most Left

Version: PCHL-TML-2025.07.18.21.23

You are free to:

  • Use this work for any purpose
  • Copy, remix, modify, distribute, and commercialize it
  • Use it without attribution

No permission is required.

Honour Clause — You May NOT:

Use this work in any way that:

  • Violates personal privacy (e.g., doxxing, exposing private information)
  • Promotes cyberbullying, targeted harassment, or public shaming
  • Spreads hate, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind
  • Intentionally defames or harms the reputation of individuals or groups
  • Supports or contributes to misinformation, disinformation, or malicious deepfakes
  • Encourages or enables illegal, abusive, or violent behavior

Revocation Clause

Violation of the Honour Clause immediately revokes this licence.
You must cease all use and distribution of the work.

Philosophy

This licence promotes radical creative freedom while defending human dignity.
It is rooted in progressive, anti-oppressive, leftist values.
Freedom of expression must never come at the cost of another’s safety or humanity.

Disclaimer

This work is provided “as is,” without warranties.
The original creator is not responsible for misuse or harm caused by others.

Licence Name: Progressive Creative Honour Licence: The Most Left
Version: PCHL-TML-2025.07.18.21.23
Inspired by: Creative Commons Zero (CC0 1.0)

The Case for Contextual Copyleft: Licensing Open Source Training Data and Generative AI

" The paper concludes that when implemented within a robust regulatory environment focused on responsible AI usage, the CCAI license provides a viable mechanism for preserving and adapting core FOSS principles to the evolving landscape of generative AI development."

#ai #copyleft #opensource #copyright #license

🔗 arxiv.org/abs/2507.12713

arXiv logo
arXiv.orgThe Case for Contextual Copyleft: Licensing Open Source Training Data and Generative AIThe proliferation of generative AI systems has created new challenges for the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) community, particularly regarding how traditional copyleft principles should apply when open source code is used to train AI models. This article introduces the Contextual Copyleft AI (CCAI) license, a novel licensing mechanism that extends copyleft requirements from training data to the resulting generative AI models. The CCAI license offers significant advantages, including enhanced developer control, incentivization of open source AI development, and mitigation of openwashing practices. This is demonstrated through a structured three-part evaluation framework that examines (1) legal feasibility under current copyright law, (2) policy justification comparing traditional software and AI contexts, and (3) synthesis of cross-contextual benefits and risks. However, the increased risk profile of open source AI, particularly the potential for direct misuse, necessitates complementary regulatory approaches to achieve an appropriate risk-benefit balance. The paper concludes that when implemented within a robust regulatory environment focused on responsible AI usage, the CCAI license provides a viable mechanism for preserving and adapting core FOSS principles to the evolving landscape of generative AI development.
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It's not bitterness on your part,, @liw — it's having political memory.

Politicians (regular ones or unelected tech industry ones) *rely* on folks not seeing the long game that's afoot.

#Microsoft still has same goals re: #FOSS: end #copyleft in favor of exploitable non-copyleft — old-school embrace, extend, extinguish.

& now fanboys help them!: github.com/sirredbeard/microso … timeline starts in 2004 — ignoring early moves making seem like Microsoft just ignored FOSS until 2004.

Cc: @carnage4life

An unofficial timeline of Microsoft's transition towards open source - sirredbeard/microsoft-opensource
GitHubGitHub - sirredbeard/microsoft-opensource: An unofficial timeline of Microsoft's transition towards open sourceAn unofficial timeline of Microsoft's transition towards open source - sirredbeard/microsoft-opensource
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@carnage4life Good point & 🙄 re: Brad Smith. His name is in the top five reasons why I stopped accepting "Brad" as my name circa 2001…I did not wanna share a name with the (then) General Counsel of $MSFT.

I think many don't realize that there is a *lawyer* (not a technologist) who has been President of Microsoft for years.

Brad Smith is also believed to be (we can't prove it — Microsoft state secrets) the mastermind behind the anti-#copyleft / anti-#GPL campaign of the early 2000s.

Cc: @liw

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@phloggen suggested:
> Founding documents should automatically expire when there is no longer a ⅔ majority of…affected population who…voted to affirm it.

😯 A fascinating suggestion. Now I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to apply this idea to #copyleft licenses like #GPL &/or copyleft-@next.

One difficulty in #FOSS governance accomplished through licensing is: many don't know they're governed by them &/or they benefit indirectly & silently from the rights therein.

Cc: @richardfontana