Re: GPLv3 comedy unfolding -- "Lack of clarity to a non-lawyer programmer"

[Alexander Terekhov]

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Comment 1876: Lack of clarity to a non-lawyer programmer
Regarding the text: The "System Libraries" of an executable work include
every subunit such that (a) the identical subunit is normally included
as an adjunct in the distribution of either a major essential component
(kernel, window system, and so on) of the specific operatin
In section: gpl3.sourcecode.p1.s1
Submitted by: raulir on 2006-09-27 at 10:49 EDT
0 agree:
noted by raulir on 2006-09-27 at 10:49 EDT:

    This paragraph lacks (first-reading) clarity for many reasons.
Clarity is important because any lack of it goes against the goal that
the licensee should know his or her rights, and many don't read licenses
already due to their general unreadability among other things. GPLv2 was
very clear as licenses go, GPLv3 should be too.

    "subunit" and "adjunct" are not commonly used programming terms with
agreed-upon definitions, but they sound technical enough that such
definitions would be expected. Yet no definition is given. If they don't
have specific technical meanings, more common words should be preferred.
Such as using "part" for both and rewording for clarity. Does "included
as an adjunct" even differ from plain "included" in any way?

    It is not explicitly stated what these subunits are subunits of.
Instead, the reader is treated to a paragraph-long "such that"
description without a clear understanding of what will be described.
Much of the confusion (aside from ridiculous sentence length) comes from
the usage of "System Libraries" to mean parts of the work, which is not
the usual case. System libraries usually come with the operating system
and program authors rarely bundle whole operating systems with their
programs. There is no need to change the term, being more explicit of
the relationships is enough.

    Is the paragraph, in essence, the same as the following?

    The "System Libraries" of an executable work include all parts of
the work that are normally included in the distribution of either (a) a
major essential component (kernel, window system, and so on) of the
specific operating system (if any) on which the object code runs, or (b)
a compiler used to produce the object code, or (c) an object code
interpreter used to run it. Additionally, such parts must, to qualify as
"System Libraries", serve only (a) to enable use of the work with the
corresponding component, compiler, or interpreter where the part is
normally included, or (b) to implement a widely used or standard
interface for which an implementation is available to the public in
source code form.

    If the text can be written in a form that offers the reader more
clues (such as the enumerations in the example above in long sentences)
to how the paragraph should be parsed, it should be written so. Even
better would be splitting it into relatively short sentences that build
upon the previous ones.
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regards,
alexander.