Re: GPL V3 and Linux - Dead Copyright Holders

[Pierre Ossman <drzeus-list@drzeus.cx>]

Linus Torvalds wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Feb 2006, Pierre Ossman wrote:
>   
>> Linus Torvalds wrote:
>>     
>>> I _literally_ feel that we do not - as software developers - have the 
>>> moral right to enforce our rules on hardware manufacturers. We are not 
>>> crusaders, trying to force people to bow to our superior God. We are 
>>> trying to show others that co-operation and openness works better.
>>>       
>> Then I have to ask, why GPL and not a BSD license? GPL is after all,
>> forcing our beliefs onto anyone who wishes to benefit from our work.
>>     
>
> Yes, a lot of people see the GPL as a "crusading" license, and I think 
> that's partly because the FSF really has been acting like a crusader.
>
> But I think that one of the main reasons Linux has been successful is that 
> I don't think that the Linux community really is into crusading (some 
> small parts of it are, but it's not the main reason). I think Linux has 
> made the GPL more "socially acceptable", by being a hell of a lot less 
> religious about it than the FSF was.
>
> So to me, the point of the GPL is not the "convert the infidels" logic, 
> but something totally different:
>   

Thank you. I think that completely clarified your position in this.

Personally, I'm more of a "crusader". I don't think it's ok to force
someone into our way of thinking, but when the try to use our work I
feel they have at least a moral obligation to be as open themselves.
Kind of along the lines of the old "Do unto others..."-saying. That also
mean I don't really like bundling proprietary and open software (which I
do for a living so feel free to call me a hypocrite).

This whole DRM:d hardware issue is a bit different though since it seems
to be moving to a point where it cannot be avoided. "Vote with your
wallet" fails when there are so few of us that care about these things.
With they way electronics are packaged nowadays (chip packages that is),
it's getting increasingly difficult to build your own stuff. My fear is
that open source will be something you can only fiddle with on your ten
year old computer from the pre-DRM era.

Rgds
Pierre

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