re GPL 3 (see Biz wk online article, "Open Warfare in Open Source")

[Darrin Chandler]

On Mon, Aug 21, 2006 at 11:25:53AM -0700, Mike Schwartz wrote:
> Just a comment on the article ("Open Warfare in Open Source") at
> 
> http://www.businessweek.com/print/technology/content/aug2006/tc20060818_977941.htm
> about the wrangling over the new version ("V 3") of the GPL.
>  I disagree with the conclusion (first sentence of the last paragraph)
> which
> says, << "If Torvalds chooses not to go with version 3 for Linux, the Free
> Software Foundation will become even more irrelevant to the business world
> of open source" >>.
> I don't think there is any way that the FSF will be irrelevant to any
> extent,
> in the world of "gnu/Linux".  Because when you get a distro,
> unless it is some version of BSD or something [not usually callled "Linux"],
> a big part of what you get, is gnu software.  The FSF not only decides
> upon the licensing for the gnu software, they actually own the copyrights
> (which are needed, for the copylefts;  [right?]) on most of the gnu
> software.
>   Just my 0.02 ...

Licensing issues have caused forks and complete replacements before now.
Much of the Gnu software could be replaced at the drop of a hat. Some of
it would be much harder, such as major components of the toolchain.

Linux is just the kernel, and if Linus refuses to license under GPLv3
then it won't cause the immediate destruction of all that is Gnu. It's
hard to say just *what* effect it would have in the long run. But I
could see a cooling off toward Gnu happening.

As for Gnu actually owning the copyrights... yes, they do, or the
individual authors do, or whatever. But they can't revoke the prior
licenses. So someone could always take the GPLv2 version and fork from
that.

Or someone could take a BSD version of whatever tool, re-license it
GPLv2 and rework it a bit for Linux.

I think the most likely outcome is that many, many coders will continue
to release under GPLv2, which is entirely within their rights. Last I
checked, there was no provision in the GPL that forces anyone to upgrade
to newer versions. Linus doesn't want to, and he's something of a trand
setter. :)

-- 
Darrin Chandler            |  Phoenix BSD Users Group
dwchandler at stilyagin.com   |  http://bsd.phoenix.az.us/
http://www.stilyagin.com/  |