Re: [GSWHackers] Re: OGo/GNUstep cooperation Re: Re[2]: Frameworks

[Marco Scheurer]

On Mar 8, 2004, at 3:08 PM, NeXT wrote:

> I cannot help but to ask this question :-) Helge, do you or your 
> comapny have any problem
> in licensing or donating SOPE to FSF ? If so, we have to find another 
> way(though I prefer
> first method be possible...). I think SOPE to FSF will solve most 
> problems during this
> discussion. (I'm afraid that this is rather impossible, so the 
> discussion comes here...)

Why is assigning copyright to the FSF such a big deal? FYI, the 
copyright for the Linux kernel source code is not assigned to the FSF, 
and it does not seem to be a problem to hundreds of Linux contributors 
or, as users, to many GNUSTEP developers.

I could understand that if someone contributes to SOPE, he could ask to 
keep the copyright on his contribution (or maybe assign it to the FSF) 
if he doesn't want to give a blank check to Skyrix or Helge, but 
otherwise I don't understand the fuss. I haven't seen that Helge asked 
that contributions should be copyrighted by Skyrix (on the contrary, 
his position is that you cannot transfer copyright).

As the original author of the kit, Skyrix is certainly entitled to keep 
it's copyright, which means they could decide to distribute the same 
code to someone else with a different license, but it does not diminish 
your rights under the GPL. And of course, if you make an important 
contribution to SOPE, and you keep your copyright on it (or give it to 
the FSF if you wish) then you would have leverage on how the whole kit 
is distributed if it is to include your contribution.

The only advantage of assigning the copyright to the FSF, is that the 
FSF is supposed to be better prepared to enforce this right than the 
original author or a random distributor. Let me just point out that 
apparently Fyodor has been able to get SCO to stop distributing nmap, 
while the FSF has not left a finger yet.

(IANAL, just my 2 cents)

marco

Marco Scheurer
Sen:te, Lausanne, Switzerland   http://www.sente.ch