GNU bug report logs - #67797
non-free license listed in module/ice-9/psyntax.scm

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From: Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com>
To: Mike Gran <spk121 <at> yahoo.com>
Cc: "67797 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <67797 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>, "Thompson, David" <dthompson2 <at> worcester.edu>
Subject: bug#67797: non-free license listed in module/ice-9/psyntax.scm
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:48:08 -0500

Hi Mike,

Mike Gran <spk121 <at> yahoo.com> writes:

> On Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 12:51:11 PM PST, Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com> wrote: 
>>> This confirms my hunch that there is no issue with the license.
>
>>That's great, but... why is it not a problem?  :-)
>
>>When we find out, we should add an explanation next to the license text,
>>why it's deemed alright.
>
> Maxim,
> This is not meant to be plain English, but rather, it is American Legal Nonsense English.
>
> If you changed the text to "may be used for any purpose: lawful or unlawful", then, in USA
> contract/copyright law, the contract is unenforceable because it is illegal.  It is not possible
> to be party to an unenforceable contract. If the receiver of the software can't be a party
> to the contract because it is unenforceable, then effectively
> the software can't be open sourced by that copyright statement.

Do I understand correctly that any copyright license comes with an
implicit "lawful" condition so as to be considered valid, per the law of
USA at least?  And that making this explicit is thus not considered a
restriction on the use?

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim

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