Evil SourceForge?

[Thomas Mondoshawan Tate]

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On Tue, Nov 13, 2001 at 05:30:56PM -0700, Lucas Vogel wrote:
> I would much rather have SF do what it can to bring in new customers and =
stay
> afloat than have it fold in because it can't sell what it gives away for=
=20
> free.=20

If it was _their_ property, yes, I'd agree. But in this case, they're asking
the developers that worked on the previously open-source SF software to hand
over all IP rights, as well as the rights to any futher software that they
develop that could possibly make for a good addition to SF. Additionally, if
you read the article you'll notice that the developer that recieved the
request to hand over his IP rights was asked to help refine the document he
was supposed to sign. Again, according to the document, his requests were
blatantly ignored and a worse document was mailed out to him for signing --
this one requiring that he sign all documents placed in his face by VA Linu=
x.

Quoting the article directly:
"... when I read the details of their copyright assignment, I saw major
problems.  I was asked to assign copyright of my work that 'is, or may in
the future be, utilized in the SourceForge collaborative software
development platform'. The assignment was not limited to my contribution to
the SourceForge code, it potentially covered all my past and future work if
it was of some interest to SourceForge."

"I was also expecting a promise that my work would be released under the GNU
GPL, but the assignment said nothing about Free Software. VA Linux would be
allowed to release the software I wrote under a non-free software license
and not let the community have it at all."

and finally, a copy of the Copyright Assignment letter quoted in the articl=
e:

"SourceForge Copyright Assignment

Thank you for your interest in contributing software code to SourceForge.

In order for us to include the code in our product, we will need you to
provide us with the rights to the code.

By signing this agreement, you, the undersigned, hereby assign to VA Linux
all right, title and interest in and to the software code described below,
and all copyright, patent, proprietary information, trade secret, and other
intellectual property rights therein. You also agree to take all actions and
sign all documents (such as copyright assignments or registrations)
reasonably requested by VA Linux to evidence and record the above
assignments."

I don't know about you, but when a company -- even one like VA Linux, whom
have supported the open-source community so heartily -- decides to make a
power grab for software IP rights in such a broad context and then
blatantly ignores the same community that they were gaining help from, they
become equal to or worse than M$ in my eyes. In all honesty, this is
something I'd expect from M$, not VA Linux.

--=20
Thomas "Mondoshawan" Tate
phoenix@psy.ed.asu.edu
http://tank.dyndns.org

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