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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.wildstar.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!newsxfer3.itd.umich.edu!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!cdc2.cdc.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.indiana.edu!news From: Lars Hofhansl <lhofhans@indiana.edu> Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy Subject: Re: Linux vs whatever Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:04:38 -0600 Organization: Indiana University Lines: 61 Message-ID: <32ED1866.34F02393@indiana.edu> References: <32DFFEAB.7704@usa.net> <5c155c$p6u@raven.eva.net> <5c19pg$rf6@lynx.dac.neu.edu> <5c39sk$ddl@troma.rv.tis.com> <5c8jlm$50u@cynic.portal.ca> <m23evrulla.fsf@desk.crynwr.com> <32EA25AB.41C67EA6@freebsd.org> <5qC7y0gTzDLB091yn@ibm.net> <32ECB442.41C67EA6@freebsd.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: pionier.eigenmann.indiana.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit NNTP-Posting-User: lars X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01 (X11; I; Linux 2.0.28 i586) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:154482 comp.os.linux.networking:66302 comp.os.linux.setup:94094 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2046 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy:51102 comp.os.os2.advocacy:263739 John S. Dyson wrote: > [...] > Isn't that great!!! We are providing a research and development > platform for commercial use. I disagree with your characterization > of "greedy", simply because you are talking about the way that > most companies work (they don't want their IP under the stranglehold > of the GPL.) Frankly, I don't want my IP impounded by the GPL either, > and that is the reason that I will not expend more than a little effort > on GPL licensed software. > What do you mean with "under the stranglehold of the GPL"? The only problem I see is section 3 point a) or b) of the GPL where it requires to ship the corresponding source-code with any work that is distributed as executable or objectcode (or to provide a written offer to do so, should the receipient request it). The source must be shipped "on a medium customarily used for software interchange". Does this include the internet (FTP, etc.)?! If not, organizations who redistribute Linux (valueadded or not) would have to ship also the entire source code (but only of the parts under the GPL, which doesn't include new programs). This is not really a problem, if you don't ship your entire Linuxsystem on floppy-disks. [...] > Of course, you forget about those that don't choose GPLed code BECAUSE > of > the stranglehold that GPL puts on their IP. > [...] > > Remember, GPL is very > seductive, but WRONG. Before doing anything with GPLed code, > I would suggest that companies pass the GPL by their legal staff. > (It is generally okay to use in-house, but the redistribution > encumberances even apply in-house. Of course, software tainted > by GPL comes under the restrictions of the GPL, and the associated > redistribution encumberances.) > > John Again, if FTP is a customarily used medium, the sources just have to be somewhere. Anyway if you provide work based on Linux, you don't have to provide source for any new program you wrote. You would have to distribute the Linux under the GPL but you're still free to distribute your own work under whatever license you want! Lars ps. BTW I'm using FreeBSD because I prefer it over Linux, but I definately prefer the GPL over the BSD-license.