Microsofts new way of bashing Linux

[Alan McKinnon]

On Friday 16 June 2006 01:45, Michael T. Richter wrote:
> > Which is just wrong. The GPL is there to protect your
> > intellectual property.
>
> Exactly how does the GPL "protect" my intellectual property?  As
> far as I can tell it gives my intellectual property to everybody
> for free.

It does no such thing.

If you choose to use software released by someone else, and you choose 
to extend and redistibute that software to others, then the GPL 
requires you to release it on the same terms as the original. If you 
do not agree with this, then do not extend and redistribute existing 
GPL code as the original author is within his rights to make this 
requirement.

You are not forced to redistribute any modifications you make to GPL 
code, you can keep it all in-house and the redistribution clauses do 
not kick in.

If you write new original code, you are not forced to release it under 
GPL. But the Linux kernel, the FSF apps and most of the rest of the 
OS were specifically created with the idea of forwarding the ideals 
in the GPL. If you do not agree with these ideals, or do not agree 
with the chosen mechanism to bring them about (GPL), then I would 
recommend that you switch to a different OS that better suits your 
needs.

You can't have it both ways, if you want to receive the freedoms the 
GPL gives you, then the GPL *requires* that you reciprocate.

-- 
If only me, you and dead people understand hex, 
how many people understand hex?

Alan McKinnon
alan at linuxholdings dot co dot za
+27 82, double three seven, one nine three five