Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License Agreement
Encyclopedia
The Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License Agreement (HESSLA) is a software license proposed by Hacktivismo
that attempts to put ethical restrictions on use and modification of software released under it.
The license was written by Oxblood Ruffin
(of Hacktivismo and CULT OF THE DEAD COW
) and Eric Grimm, an attorney
with the EFF
.
The HESSLA allows for enhancements to be made and for derivative work
s to be created, but it prohibits the use or modification of the software to violate human rights
or to introduce features that spy on the user
. It is intended to be a legally enforceable document. However, due to these restrictions, it is not technically a free software license, though it was inspired by free software
and open source
licenses.
It has been criticized by the Free Software Foundation
for introducing restrictions that are ineffective for preventing abuse, but introduce legal incompatibility with other licenses.
Hacktivismo
Hacktivismo is an offshoot of CULT OF THE DEAD COW , whose beliefs include access to information as a basic human right. It was founded in 1999....
that attempts to put ethical restrictions on use and modification of software released under it.
The license was written by Oxblood Ruffin
Oxblood Ruffin
Oxblood Ruffin is a Canadian hacker. He is a member of the hacker group Cult of the Dead Cow , for which he serves as "Foreign Minister." He is also the founder and executive director of Hacktivismo, an off-shoot of cDc....
(of Hacktivismo and CULT OF THE DEAD COW
Cult of the Dead Cow
Cult of the Dead Cow, also known as cDc or cDc Communications, is a computer hacker and DIY media organization founded in 1984 in Lubbock, Texas. The group maintains a weblog on its site, also titled "Cult of the Dead Cow"...
) and Eric Grimm, an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
with the EFF
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
.
The HESSLA allows for enhancements to be made and for derivative work
Derivative work
In United States copyright law, a derivative work is an expressive creation that includes major, copyright-protected elements of an original, previously created first work .-Definition:...
s to be created, but it prohibits the use or modification of the software to violate human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
or to introduce features that spy on the user
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
. It is intended to be a legally enforceable document. However, due to these restrictions, it is not technically a free software license, though it was inspired by free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
licenses.
It has been criticized by the Free Software Foundation
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
for introducing restrictions that are ineffective for preventing abuse, but introduce legal incompatibility with other licenses.