Re: [Fsfe-uk] Are GPL projects more likely to evolve faster ?

[MJ Ray]

On 2004-02-04 11:50:09 +0000 Chris Croughton <address@hidden> 
wrote:

> That's one area where I'm dubious as well, why should I assign 
> copyright
> to anyone else?

The FSF's reasons are given in the page someone mentioned on the list 
recently. The FSFE have produced a fiduciary licence agreement (FLA) 
which is designed for European law that only allows them to make free 
software from it IIRC, which I think would address your main concern. 
I don't remember that guarantee in the last FSF Copyright Assignment I 
saw, in 2002, but maybe it's there now.

> Is re-inventing the wheel better, though?  Serious question.  I prefer
> the carrot to the stick, and I feel that the GPL is more of a stick --

I think GPL and FreeBSD-style licences are both only carrots, as the 
default is no permission. Maybe the distribution of carrots between 
author and modifier is different, and maybe it depends on the 
complexity of the code, but that's part of the question that started 
this thread, IMO.

> In most cases of GPL code I've looked at, though, it seems that the
> copyright and licence info is only in comments.

Many display a copyright notice in certain circumstances, so that 
string is in the code.

> But I certainly don't eschew using GPL code and libraries where the
> problem doesn't arise, and many of the owners of GPL code are willing 
> to
> grant exceptions for specific cases where there is good reason (there
> are some fanatics who won't, but that's their choice).

I am sure there are some who won't who aren't easily classed as 
"fanatics" too. A lot of your message looked at the many and varied 
motives for owners, so I dislike this broad tar brush only appearing 
when you don't agree with them.

--
MJR/slef     My Opinion Only and possibly not of any group I know.
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