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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
byimpaledsunset ( 1337701 ) writes:
That's why I use real free and open source licenses, non abominations like the GPL. Making your software "free" and then fighting people using it with legal pressure, eh?
I put everything in the public domain, and I sleep well at night without having nightmares that someone might have violated my license.
byAnonymous Coward writes:
I like keeping my software free for everyone for ever. I'm glad you enjoy end users being robbed of their freedom.
bydfghjk ( 711126 ) writes:
Public domain does keep "my software" free for everyone "for ever". It can't do anything but that.
GPL is about forcing future software to also be free. Not using it doesn't rob anyone of anything.
byasdf7890 ( 1518587 ) writes:
GPL is about forcing future software to also be free. Not using it doesn't rob anyone of anything.
GPL is about forcing future software that uses on GPLed code to also be free. You don't want to be held by the GPL? Then don't use GPLed code. Is it really that difficult?
Got GPLed code in your project by accident? Then you didn't do due diligence properly. Your fault, not the GPL's fault.
Got GPLed code in your project by no fault of your own (bad contractor, used a library or other source that itself broke GPL, or some such reason)? That does sometimes happen and here you need to discuss it with the owner
byCarewolf ( 581105 ) writes:
GPL is about forcing future software that uses on GPLed code to also be free. You don't want to be held by the GPL? Then don't use GPLed code. Is it really that difficult?
Non-sense. Anyone can use GPLed code, regardless of what they want to do with it.
If you don't want to be tied by the GPL, then don't modify and distribute it. Now that should be really easy to avoid for anyone who is not evil.
bybws111 ( 1216812 ) writes:
Not as cut-and-dried as you might think. First, it is not just modifying that is a problem, it is linking with. Here is a real example. My company developed a fairly large system for internal use, which linked to some GPL components. This system contains some trade secrets. All perfectly legal under the GPL, and not evil. Several years go by, and the company decides to contract out some work. This contracted work means the contractor needs a copy of this software: extremely big problem. Because of the GPL'ed code, we must provide source to the software, including the trade secrets. Furthermore, unlike normal business deals where we have confidentiality agreements with contractors, we can't stop them from releasing the source code. This resulted in two things: a delay in the project while the software was recoded to remove all GPL components, and a new company rule saying no GPL code, period.
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byCarewolf ( 581105 ) writes:
So what is the hard part? You shouldn't have used GPL code in the first place if you are not willing to share your derived products. Besides if you hire the contractors as temps they are part of your company and you would still be protected by the internal-use clause.
bySharpFang ( 651121 ) writes:
The hard part is that as a start-up they used a cheap and available system that allowed them to get going ASAP. They saved the months of development costs early, when these costs meant to be or not to be.
GPL is for corporations like the dark side of the power, a tempting, easy and available, but extremely corrupting.
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