Vanilla Netrek Server Development Archive
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[VANILLA-L:1463] Re: [VANILLA-L:1462] Re: Discussion



> "Steve Sheldon" <sheldon@visi.com> wrote:
> >  I'm all for taking advantage of the moronic Linux horde, but I don't like
> > the GNU license and think it would be evil to succumb to their
> > stupidity.
> 
> What don't you like about it?

 My reading of the GPL gives me several causes for concern.  Essentially from my interpretation the GPL it gives the software consumer numerous rights, and strips those of the software author.

 - The GPL does not appear to allow for the author to control distribution and use of their program.  i.e. non-commercial only.
 - By going with the GPL the author appears to give away all rights associated as author of the program.  That is, if I write something and release it under the GPL.  Then later on find that I want to write a program under a commercial license, I am not permitted to use any of the code I wrote, not even code fragments, from that which I released under the GPL.

 If someone can show me that I'm wrong in this regard, great.  But I've read this license over and over and that's how it reads to me.  Especially when you read the top which says you cannot change the wording of the GPL agreement, which to my understanding also means you cannot addendum it.

 The GPL is fine in and of itself if that's what someone wants to use.  I don't like it because I do not like giving up my rights as an author.

> At any rate, given all the various contributors to the current code
> base, turning it into GPL'd software would be quite a feat.

 I don't think it needs to be GPL'd to be part of a Linux distribution, as I already pointed out with Apache there are numerous pieces which are not.  

 The main piece of the Netrek license which is in question is that it talks about use/modify/distribute without fee.

 The question remains, by fee did the authors mean no fee at all, or is a reasonable charge associated with media reproduction acceptable?

Steve

+
++ Vanilla-l Mailing List ++
To unsubscribe: send "unsubscribe vanilla-l" to majordomo@real-time.com
For more information: http://archives.real-time.com