[meepmorp]

> Restrictive in that it prevents you from fucking people over.

Restrictive in that it controls how you must license derivative works and release source code. It imposes an ideology on others.

> This is like saying laws against slavery restrict freedom (freedom to own slaves).

No, really, it's absolutely nothing like saying that, and if you care about free software (however defined, but in particular along the lines RMS endorses), you should stop using such a fantastically stupid analogy.

[SquidMagnet]

Really, the only thing the GPL restricts is your ability to restrict.

(Incidentally, this is comparable to restricting the freedom to enslave; it is a restriction on restriction.)

If you think the GPL somehow "imposes an ideology on others" but literally any other license does not, I am curious as to how. (Hint: a license cannot "impose an ideology"; if you do not agree, you are free to avoid it and stick with BSD code, or whatever else might suit your fancy.)

[eveningcoffee]

I think you are free to not to use GPL libraries.

Your options are at least as:

1) acquire a licence of some commercial library, 2) use library with different open source licence, 3) develop your own library.

[FireBeyond]

Whereas you are forced to use an Amazon Kindle (sorry, Swindle)?

Your options there are similar, acquire a license for a commercial book (that you like), hit Project Gutenberg for an open source book, or write your own book...

[danbruc]

If you build something you should definitely have something to say about what others can do with your work, especially if you give it away for free. And nobody imposes something on you - you are perfectly free not to use GNU licensed things.

[meepmorp]

I don't recall arguing otherwise. But compared to the BSD license, it's definitely more restrictive about derivative works. Also, the slavery analogy is stupid.

[SquidMagnet]

I think it would be helpful to be clearer as to why you disagree with the analogy rather than simply calling it stupid.

If I had to guess, I would suspect that your real issue is that you do not find the things being restricted to be comparable (i.e., human life/will vs. the use of software), rather than believing that the comparison is somehow invalid for other reasons.

[jakobegger]

First of all, it's not a good analogy. Software licenses are a contract that you can choose to agree to, whereas laws give you no choice.

Second of all, it is highly debated wheter the restrictions imposed by the GPL are a worthwhile tradeoff; while noone in their right mind claims anybody has a right to own slaves...

And lastly, by comparing the GPL to laws against slavery you are trying to evoke certain associations, much like stallman uses the word swindle instead of kindle -- those are just cheap tricks that distract and make fruitful discussions hard.

[chaosfactor]

The slavery analogy holds because in both cases we are talking about freedom. A word you aren't using.