Re: SSPL or server side public license, GNU better update the AGPL

[Jean Louis]

* Florian Weimer <fw@deneb.enyo.de> [2021-03-21 14:54]:
> * Jean Louis:
> 
> > That is right, that is where should AGPL maybe be updated.
> >
> > We know from GPL that when there is some software that depends on GPL
> > software, then such has to be issued under GPL as well. Those could be
> > some modules, even if distributed separately they may form a part of
> > the whole.
> 
> But the GPL makes an exception for code in the “System Library”
> category.  Service infrastructure is similar to that.

Every operating system has system libraries, but in this case like
"management software" that could interact with main software actually
forms whole new part of the software, and those who modify it may
claim they did not modify it, but they did, by adding one important
management part. If that part is still private, it could remain not
published, but if that part influences main software in such way that
it also influences users' interaction through a server -- then it
should be published.

I am running GNU Social as software, if I remember well it is AGPL,
now what if I make for GNU Social a special management part and I
install it on the same server without touching the existing GNU Social
app, so some people may interpret it as "new and not published
software", and may like not to release it as free software, though as
extension that depends on main GNU Social, it should automatically
become free software. Condition is that it does something to users'
experience or to data that is provided to users.

Example would be management software that quickly removes spam
entries. Users may enter spam words and their accounts may be quickly
removed or blocked, that modifies the main software and should be thus
released.

How I understood it from MongoDB case is that they are facing such
issues. Those companies changing licenses are making millions of US
dollars on free software, I wonder why they cannot enforce AGPL when
the incident takes place. It would be more beneficial to enforce AGPL
and gain more free software than now making it proprietary what was
known as free before.

Jean