GPL Infectiousness

[Derek Neighbors]

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On Mon, 2002-09-30 at 21:40, Robert Bushman wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Sep 2002, der.hans wrote:
>=20
> > > "Proprietary software developers have the advantage of money; free
> > > software developers need to make advantages for each other. Using the
> > > ordinary GPL for a library gives free software developers an advantag=
e
> > > over proprietary developers: a library that they can use, while
> > > proprietary developers cannot use it.
> >
> > It doesn't give us an advantage. They can use it as well, but under the
> > terms of the GPL. I can buy code from Rational Software to use in my
> > products, but I can only use it under the licensing terms of the purcha=
se.
> > There's nothing in the GPL preventing anyone from using GPLd code. In f=
act,
> > it's explicitly available to anyone.
>=20
> I'm missing something - according to RMS in the quote
> above, the point of using the GPL on libraries is to
> give an advantage to free software developers over
> proprietary software developers. Yet I know you are
> more familiar with this topic than I, so where am I
> going off track?

I think the difference is subtle.  Proprietary software developers
divise 'advantages' to keep people out so that they can maxmize profit.=20
Thus giving them money to recycle that 'advantage'.  I think RMS is
saying that the BSD while acceptably free has no inherit way to keep
'recycling' the 'advantage', at anytime someone can decide to stop the
flow.   By making libraries(software) GPL you are in effect doing the
BSD only mandating that they keep the it free.  Thus, putting an
'advantage' towards freedom, by forcing people to keep things free if
they chose to use.

The irony is that proprietary vendors use their advantages to restrict
freedom, GPL vendors use their advantages to enfore freedom.
--=20
Derek Neighbors
GNU Enterprise
http://www.gnuenterprise.org
derek@gnue.org

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