*BSD News Article 57503


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From: byron@cc.gatech.edu (Byron A Jeff)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc
Subject: Re: Linux vs FreeBSD
Date: 15 Dec 1995 01:35:54 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Computing
Lines: 49
Message-ID: <4aqjdq$217@solaria.cc.gatech.edu>
References: <489kuu$rbo@pelican.cs.ucla.edu> <4ag0pi$rqg@sundog.tiac.net> <4aianr$52o@daffy.anetsrvcs.uwrf.edu> <4alnti$peo@sundog.tiac.net>
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In article <4alnti$peo@sundog.tiac.net>,
Rick Kelly <rmk@tencats.rmkhome.com> wrote:
:BENJAMIN A LINDSTROM (bl03@uwrf.edu) wrote:
:: Rick Kelly (rmk@rmkhome.com) wrote:
:: : Erik Corry (erik@kroete2.freinet.de) wrote:
:: : : You say the FreeBSD kernel is 'unencumbered with the GPL'. The GPL
:: : : may be an encumberance to you, but to Linux/GNU developers, the
:: : : BSD license is also an encumberance: which means you can't use
:: : : BSD code in the Linux kernel or in a GPL'ed application.
:: : 
:: : : The other major encumberance of the GPL is that noone can 'do a BSDI'
:: : : with Linux, i.e. copy the code and create a private version. That's not
:: : : perceived as a disadvantage by most Linux developers, in fact for many
:: : : it is a prerequisite. For example, Alan Cox has stated that he does
:: : : GPL development for free, but wants to be paid for development under
:: : : other licenses.
:: : 
:: : Linus has the primary copyright on the Linux kernel.  He can do with it
:: : what he wants, including removing it from the GPL...
:
:: Sorry..It's very hard to take something out of GPL once it's in it.=)
:: You have to re-write all the parts that are GPLed.  So this part of your
:: logic is not really good.=)  Try again!
:
:So you're saying that the GPL is basically a fascist licence?

In the Hertz commercial's immortal words: 'Not Exactly'. 

:
:Putting something under GPL causes lack of ownership for the author?

You've missed two points. 

1) If you release a version 1.0 under GPL you can certainly privitize version
1.1 and beyond. But you can't receind a license you grant even if you own
the product licensed. You'd be obligated to support version 1.0 under the GPL.
See alladin ghostscript as an example of this.

2) If a piece of work has multiple authors then all the authors must agree
to change the license right?

So it's not a lack of ownership just a committment to the license you issue
the software under.

BAJ
-- 
Another random extraction from the mental bit stream of...
Byron A. Jeff - PhD student operating in parallel - And Using Linux!
Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332   Internet: byron@cc.gatech.edu