Les Mikesell wrote:
> Actually it is commercial vs GPL. [...]
The GPL specifically allows commercial redistribution. The
only restriction it contains is that the cost for a copy of
the source code cannot exceed the cost of the binaries sold.
> Many patented components that can't ever be combined with
> GPL'd code and legally distributed.... Consider what is
> in the media player alone. It is easy enough to add
> free components like OpenOffice or Cygwin to Windows, but
> how do you add device drivers with patented technology
> to Linux?
Software patents are a Bad Thing(TM). What we need to do is
strive to strike down such patent law and also encourage the
patent holders to grant an irrevocable, world-wide, royalty-
free license for any purpose imaginable on behalf of the
public so that all can benefit from its code. (For example,
the Theora video codec is actually based on On2's patented
VP3, but they released all patent rights to it so that
anyone may use it for any purpose without such licensing
costs.)
--
Peter Gordon (codergeek42)
This message was sent through a webmail
interface, and thus not signed.
