Interesting this should come up now. The license issue was discussed at 
LinuxWorld in Boston last week.

 From znet:
BOSTON--The Open Source Initiative, an influential open-source 
organization, is devising ways to cut down on the rising number of 
open-source licenses attached to software.

Complete story at:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5578799.html?tag=st.prev

I can't speak for Stallman but I believe he was trying to address the 
issues that existed with proprietary software back in the 'dark ages' 
of computers. It's hard to remember, or imagine if your under a certain 
age, that once upon a time you didn't log onto the 'net' and get 
everything from editors to operating systems with the click of a 
button. You paid and paid dearly for the software you ran, or you wrote 
it yourself.

The restrictions these licenses put on the software are really meant to 
keep it open as counterintuitive as that sounds..  If you put something 
in the public domain without any restrictions then it is possible a 
large organization to appropriate the software and over time close it 
off.

Perhaps Stallman and the Open Software Foundation and the others didn't 
get it exactly right but I really believe had they not reshaped the 
whole model of software development and distribution we would still be 
doing business the old fashion way.

Of course anyone is allowed to do what they want with the code they 
write. Put it in the public domain no strings attached, no one is 
forcing you to do otherwise. And of course if I give away something I 
am allowed to attach as many strings as I like.

regards

------------------------
Frank Caggiano
frankcag at crystal-objects dot com
http://www.crystal-objects.com

The best education for the best is the best education for all.
					Robert Maynard Hutchins