Re: US court says software is owned, not licensed

[Alan Mackenzie]

In gnu.misc.discuss Rjack <user@example.net> wrote:
> Alan Mackenzie wrote:

>> Linus Torvads licenses Linux under GPL2, and created Linux to mesh
>>  with GNU software.  Eric Raymond still contributes to GNU
>> software. And all these people treat each other with respect, and
>> when they disagree, they express that disagreement in a high
>> quality and respectful manner.


> I have to agree with Alan:

Hey, thanks!

> http://www.linuxtoday.com/mailprint.php3?action=pv&ltsn=2001-08-17-016-20-OP-CY
> Eric Raymond: Freedom, Power, or Confusion? [ESR on debate between
> O'Reilly and FSF]:

> "In other words, Stallman and Kuhn want to be able to make decisions
> that affect other developers more than themselves. By the definition
> they themselves have proposed, they want power.

> Perplexing, isn't it? Tim and the FSFers both claim to stand for
> `freedom'. Both assert that each others' definition of "freedom" is
> actually a covert form of control, a claim of power over others. The
> only difference is in who the victims of "Powerplay Zero" are, users
> or developers."

The fact is, any exercise of freedom impinges on somebody else in some
fashion.  The GPL, by rigorously preserving the freedom of all to amend
a program, necessarily restricts the freedom of those who wish to
incorporate a GPL program into proprietary code.  GPL has gone one way
on this choice, BSD has gone the other way.

> Eric Raymond speaks simple, gospel truth without ad hominem attacks!

Yes.

> Sincerely,
> Rjack

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).