[Greasemonkey] GPL compatibility

[Aaron Boodman]

On 6/3/05, Mark Pilgrim <pilgrim at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/3/05, Aaron Boodman <zboogs at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Ok, I'm sorry but I still have two questions. (the same two)
> >
> > * what is it specifically about GPL that makes you want to ensure that
> > people can use it
> 
> I personally want to create standalone extensions and license them
> under the GPL, and I can not currently do this.  The GPL is my default
> license of choice, because it guarantees that derivative works remain
> free.  (Case in point: the Butler derivative included with Trixie.)
> This in turn helps increase the ratio of useful free software to
> useful non-free software, which I view as a good thing.
> 
> > * what is it specifically which makes AFL and MPL non-compatible with GPL.
> 
> So sayeth the Free Software Foundation's laywers (probably Eben Moglen):
> """
> The AFL is incompatible with the GPL for two reasons. One is that its
> rules about trademark use appear to go beyond what trademark law
> itself actually requires in some countries, prohibiting what would
> legally be fair use of the trademark.
> 
> Another incompatibility comes from its "Mutual termination for Patent
> Action" clause. Putting aside the difficult question of whether this
> sort of clause is a good idea or a bad one, it is incompatible with
> the GPL.
> """
> (source: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html)
> 
> I don't know what the story is on the MPL, but the Mozilla development
> community went through some period of discussing licenses at length,
> and settled on a combined license that allowed Mozilla code to be used
> under the GPL in derivative works.  I don't recommend combined
> licenses in general, since they create even more confusion than
> individual licenses create already.  Since we're so early in the
> lifecycle, it would be easiest to just relicence GM entirely under the
> GPL (or some other GPL-compatible license).

Thanks for the clarification. My vote then, is for MIT, since it is
the simpler of the two which allows proprietary derivative works.