Open source project adds "no military use" clause to the GPL

[sugapablo]

http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/08/14/1438204

GPU is a Gnutella client that creates ad-hoc supercomputers by allowing individual PCs on the network to share CPU resources with each other. That's intriguing enough, but the really interesting thing about GPU is the license its developers have given it. They call it a "no military use" modified version of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Tiziano Mengotti and Rene Tegel are the lead developers on the GPU project. Mengotti is the driving force behind the license "patch," which says "the program and its derivative work will neither be modified or executed to harm any human being nor through inaction permit any human being to be harmed."

Mengotti says the clause is specifically intended to prevent military use. "We are software developers who dedicate part of our free time to open source development. The fact is that open source is used by the military industry. Open source operating systems can steer warplanes and rockets. patch should make clear to users of the software that this is definitely not allowed by the licenser."

He says some might think an attempt to prevent military use might be "too idealistic" and would not work in practice, but he references the world of ham radio, whose rules specify that the technology is not to be used commercially. "Surprisingly enough, this rule is respected by almost every ham operator."

Interesting....(already been slashdotted)

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. I find the reference to the First Law of Robotics intruiging

For those of you unfamiliar with Isaac Asimov's Three Laws:

1. A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.



2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.



3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Using that phrasing in conjunction with software that creates virtual supercomputers is interesting.