Upgrade to AGPL 3 for Koha 3.4 - 150 word advocacy

This page is reserved only for an 150 word summary advocating AGPL 3, invoked with an or later version option, for Koha 3.4. The summary is part of a ballot process for inclusion in a ballot on the question of upgrading the Koha copyright license.

Please use the Upgrade to AGPL 3 for Koha 3.4 - Advocacy wiki page for more detailed advocacy linked from the summary.

Please use the Koha AGPL 3 option wiki page or the Koha mailing list for open comment.

Summary (150 words at most)

• AGPL 3 text is identical to GPL 3 except for the reciprocal section 13. Thus AGPL 3 has all the advantages included within GPL 3 with a vital addition.

• Section 13 ensures that any user of the software remotely over the network, the typical case for Koha, has the right to download the complete source code for the particular modified version being used. Users avoid vendor lock-in over software.

• Code from other AGPL 3 projects could be used to enhance Koha in addition to the compatibility provided by GPL 3.

• Compliance mistakes are protected by the 30 day cure provision allowing first time violators to have their rights automatically restored. Advice from the Software Freedom Law Center suggests a means for a copyright holder to reinstate the first time protection to reassure a party believed to have innocently violated the license.

See http://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Upgrade_to_AGPL_3_for_Koha_3.4_-_Advocacy for more detail.