[s1mp3-dev] About GPL was Fw: Re: [s1mp3] sourceforge project page

[Bluechip]

At 19:26 15/06/2006, you wrote:
>In message: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0606152003480.18769 at sprite.student.utwente.nl>
>             Jeroen Domburg <jeroen at sprite.student.utwente.nl> writes:
>: Normally, I'd completely agree with BC. Problem is, as far as I can see,
>: as soon as we've got a nice firmware all wrapped up, Actions will go and
>: take it. I don't want that; them not giving a donkeys arse about our
>: troubles with no docs etc and in the end them profiting of it. It's not
>: that I don't want any corporation profiting from this work, it's just that
>: I don't want Actions profiting from it. If anyone else wants to use it, as
>: I said, they can always come to us and we can agree to license it to them
>: under some other license.
>
>When working from open source, you have to get over not wanting others
>to profit from it.  They will, no matter what you do.  Even GPL'd
>Actions could take it and say "fuck the bad publicity, and fuck you,
>we're going to sell this and you can sue us if you want us to stop.
>we're in Taiwan.  Good luck, since we have deep pockets and you
>don't.  So it is a good risk to us, we think, so it will cost you big
>bucks to make us stop."

For interest this has already happened with Rockbox.  I shall try to 
dig out the thread sometime.  But it was aaaggeess ago now.

Warner, if you'd like an example to cite, please ask me and I will 
make the time to find it for you.

BC


>Sorry to be so blunt, but when you distribute the source, you have to
>understand the risks you take...
>
>Warner
>
>
>: Jeroen
>:
>: On Thu, 15 Jun 2006, Legolas wrote:
>:
>: > From the old yahoo group mailing list.
>: > --
>: >  Legolas
>: >
>: > BC wrote Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:28 am:
>: >
>: >> Re: [s1mp3] sourceforge project page
>: >>
>: >> I have several personal issues with the GPL license. But only once I
>: >> understood what it meant. I was forced to read the GPL, when 
>working on (I
>: >> think the phrase is) "statically linked plugins" for another project. I
>: >> sent this one particular plugin out for beta test by a few helpful
>: >> others -
>: >> there was a bit fo a rave about it being cool and rather than send
>: >> individual copies out to the many requestors I put it on my 
>website ...One
>: >> dilemma - as a beta, my source code "sucked arse" it was messy and
>: >> uncommented etc. as this is one of the last things I do with my code -
>: >> clean it up to be programer friendly. There was to be a two(ish) week
>: >> delay between the beta plugin going up on my site and the "nice" source
>: >> code being made available.
>: >>
>: >> At the point in time the authors of the main project (to which I was
>: >> "linking") threatened to sue me if I did not put the source code on the
>: >> site **NOW** I started making myself familiar with the terms of the GPL
>: >> license.
>: >>
>: >> GPL is, as with any license, simply another form of censorship. In this
>: >> case anti-capitalist censorship - it means that if someone thinks my code
>: >> is great and they want to use it in a closed source project - 
>they are not
>: >> allowed to.
>: >>
>: >> Now you will have to excuse my methusulean stance, but I come from a time
>: >> when "PD" [Public Domain] was the dominant term . When my code could be
>: >> taken and used by anyone without any fear or reprisal no matter what they
>: >> desired from it. If Boeing found some cool algorithms which they thought
>: >> could fly a plane (and, yes, I have done a LOT of A.I. work in my time)
>: >> then they could just take it and use it.
>: >>
>: >> GPL strips people of their rights. Think about this... You work 
>for NASA -
>: >> you're given two weeks to solve your particular part of the 
>latest problem
>: >> - three days to go and you are still smashing your head against 
>the wall -
>: >> your job hangs on this - the food in your kid's stomach - your mortgage -
>: >> your car - and with 48 hours to go you find the solution, quite 
>by chance,
>: >> in some maze game on the net - the source code is GPL'd - two days later
>: >> you are fired.
>: >>
>: >> The only come back I can see which holds any validity is "well, NASA
>: >> wouldn't give a crap about GPL - they would just steal the code and keep
>: >> their mouths firmly shut waving a banner labelled 'official secrets act'"
>: >>
>: >> Differetiate between YOUR LOSS and THEIR GAIN ...if you GPL your code all
>: >> you do is make yourself a fat bunch of work and make sure nobody can
>: >> benefit financially from the fruits of your hobby.
>: >>
>: >> My code is free (as in free) - if someone thinks I am so spectacularly
>: >> awesome that they want to use my code - I really don't care if they
>: >> procure
>: >> money or not - if you think money will make you happy - go4it - 
>I wish you
>: >> every happiness.
>: >>
>: >> BC
>: >
>: >
>: >
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>: >
>: >
>:
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