[Python-Dev] Add a frozendict builtin type

Fri Mar 2 11:12:17 CET 2012

Mark Janssen writes:
 > Since there's no way (even theoretical way) to completely secure anything
 > (remember the DVD protection wars?), there's no way there should be any
 > liability if reasonable diligence is performed to provide security where
 > expected (which is probably calculable to some %-age of assets
 > protected).
That's not how the law works, sorry. Look up "consequential damages,"
"contributory negligence," and "attractive nuisance." I'm not saying
that anybody will lose *in* court, but one can surely be taken *to*
court. If that happens to you, you've already lost (even if the other
side can't win).
 > Open sourcing code could be said to be a disclaimer on any liability as
 > your letting people know that you've got nothing your trying to
 > conceal.
Again, you seem to be revealing your ignorance of the law (not to
mention security -- a safe is supposed to be secure even if the
burglar has the blueprints). A comprehensive and presumably effective
disclaimer is part of the license, but it's not clear that even that
works. AFAIK such disclaimers are not well-tested in court.
Guido is absolutely right. There is a risk here (not in the
frozendict type, of course), but in distributing an allegedly
effective sandbox. I doubt Victor as an individual doing research has
a problem; the PSF is another matter.
BTW, Larry Rosen's book on Open Source Licensing is a good reference.
Andrew St. Laurent also has a book out, I like Larry's better but
YMMV.