[legal-discuss] [Horizon] Licensing issue with using JSHint in build

Aaron Sahlin asahlin at linux.vnet.ibm.com
Wed Sep 10 17:56:40 UTC 2014


The Horizon build is using JSHint.   I am in process of writing 
JavaScript best practices for Horizon which includes modifying what 
JSHint Configuration option (rules) are set.   Before I  consider 
syncing the Build's JSHint options with the proposed options from the 
JavaScript best practices (https://review.openstack.org/#/c/117595/), I 
wanted to double check and be sure Horizon got past the legal problem 
with the good/evil licensing.

Background.  JSHint was authored by Douglas Crockford, and he added an 
extra line in the licensing, "The software shall be used for good, not 
evil".  The issue is in the definition of what is good and what is 
evil.   It is too subjective, what is evil differs from person to person 
therefore ends up being a liability and leaving users open to frivolous 
lawsuits.

Is this licensing something Horizon needs to be concerned with?   If so, 
did Horizon get permission or find some way around the licensing issue?

I had posted this question initially to 
openstack-dev at lists.openstack.org, in which Jeremy Stanley responded  
with the following which I though was relevant to include.

It's worth mentioning that Douglas Crockford seems to consider the free software
legal concerns around his license choice amusing and will
apparently, upon request, provide an exception to an organization
wishing to use his software for evil[1]. He has no interest in
changing the situation[2] in JSLint or derivatives (like JSHint)
even if that means that they can not be provided as part of
Debian[3] or similar legally-concerned distributions.

[1]http://dev.hasenj.org/post/3272592502/ibm-and-its-minions
[2]https://github.com/jshint/jshint/issues/1234
[3]http://www.mail-archive.com/debian-legal%40lists.debian.org/msg40718.html





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