Re: DOM DOM binding considered harmful, discriminates against open source

John Cowan wrote:
> 
> As currently construed, the DOM Java binding (the packages rooted at org.w3c.dom)
> cannot be used in any Java application that claims to be open source...

I think you mean "cannot be shipped as part of" ... an open source
application should be able to use an implementation of such interfaces,
though it can't ship or implement them.


> The problem arises because the DOM bindings are considered part of the DOM standard,
> which may not be modified per its copyright notice.  The Open Source Definition
> (www.opensource.org/osd.html), clauses 3 and 4, requires that modifications be
> allowed to the source code of any open-source program.

I think that another way to put this is:  The OSD calls for all
the relevant Intellectual Property (IP) to be open, not just to
provide access to source code.

That's a problem for any "standards" organization that wants to
control evolution of such IP, since it requires such control be
yielded.  This is similar to the issue that Sun's "Community
Source" licensing has hit -- interface/code evolution isn't in
the hands of the community, unapproved forking is prohibited.

- Dave

Received on Tuesday, 9 November 1999 16:41:51 UTC