[OSM-legal-talk] License

Gervase Markham gerv at gerv.net
Mon Feb 25 18:21:15 GMT 2008


jo at frot.org wrote:
> "How can a community so focused on freedom", he asks, "approve of 
> any restrictions?" 

This has a fairly simple answer: because such a community is focussed on 
maximising the total sum of freedom, distributed freedom and downstream 
freedom instead of maximising immediate freedom.

Laws against theft could be said to be a restriction on freedom in the 
physical world, but in fact they are an enabler of freedom - they enable 
me to walk the streets in relative safety. Loss of freedom for a few 
would-be muggers is a gain in freedom for many.

You may not agree with this, but I hope you can at least understand the 
position.

Gerv




More information about the legal-talk mailing list