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What a copyright license can do

A copyright license can give you rights regarding redistribution of works beyond those rights that “normal” copyright could already give you.

Those redistribution rights can come with provisions and restrictions, such as “source must be provided” or “the redistribution must be non-commercial“.

Some of those provisions and restrictions are “approved” by communities and organizations like Debian—some are even encouraged—others are frowned upon and described (by them; don’t shoot the messenger on this stuff) as “non-free“. Specifically which redistribution provisions should be rejected, approved, or encouraged is something people can have opinions on and argue about. If they want to. I don’t feel like it right now and I haven’t been for years.

Restrictions and provisions on things other than redistribution, such as use, technically isn’t something a copyright license can do. That’s not something I decide or have an opinion about. It’s just how it is (according to my [lay, TINLA] understanding of the law).

The only legal way to get someone to use your stuff the way you want them to, like if you have made a mug opener designed only for kitchens, and you want to prevent people from using that MODOK to open mugs out on the patio, is to get them to sign some sort of contract with you. (This is what EULAs try to do, with mediocre success.)

This (redistribution provisions vs usage restrictions) isn’t something I decided. It’s not that I want the law to be what it is. I don’t want there to be military and killing and nazis and big corp. I can understand the sentiment of you, a spoon-maker, to not only want to restrict your enemies from hitting people with one of your spoons; you sometimes, when it’s darkest, even wanna prevent them from even eating with that spoon, to not take step one on Maslow’s needs if it’s aided by you. I get that.

Copyright allows you to restrict redistribution, and copyright licenses allow you to (wholly or provisionally) lift those restrictions. That’s all it can do. Again, don’t shoot the messenger on that.