GPL Infectiousness

Robert Bushman plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Mon, 30 Sep 2002 22:18:00 -0700 (MST)


On Mon, 30 Sep 2002, der.hans wrote:

> It's not more viral than the licenses from the proprietary vendors. In fact,
> less so because it doesn't 'taint' you. The original license for UNIX source
> from AT&T prohibited people from ever working on similar projects.

Yes - I think Sun's early CSL did this too.

But there are those who claim that the GPL
is *not* viral.  It is, isn't it? (though
viral in a good way)

> The proprietary vendors are trying to make it look like the GPL is
> unreasonable when it's actually their licenses that are unreasonable. We
> shoudn't be defending the GPL, they should be defending their practices.

It seems that neither of us should be defending
anything.  It's my software, I'll release it
under the GPL if I damned well please, right?

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"We're on the threshold of a whole new system. The time where
accountants decide what music people hear is coming to an
end. Accountants may be good at numbers, but they have terrible taste
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