Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login
Python 2.8 debate escalates, BDFL: “Bring in the Lawyers” (github.com/naftaliharris)
2 points by wyldfire on Dec 12, 2016 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments



This is exactly why we still need the copyright system in the US.


I'd be surprised if anyone was in favor of abolishing copyrights altogether. IMO, IP reform should include shorter terms for copyright, better legislation on "novelty" and "business process/methods" for patents, "shopping" for US District Court for E. Texas, and better staffing for USPTO.

But I'm confused how this is relevant. The license associated with PSF's copyrights explicitly grant them permission to fork CPython and make no restriction on naming.

It's Python's trademark that offers Guido et al the opportunity to dispute this project's name.

I'm a little on the fence. I don't feel betrayed, I think moving on to py3 is not earth-shattering and simple enough. But I can see that there's no technical reason why we can't backport features to 2.x, it's just a carrot to get folks to move to py3. Ultimately I think PSF will win hands down and calling this new project "<prefix>-Python" or "Python-<suffix>" will be a simple compromise.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: