Re: [Fsfe-uk] Re: [discuss] Open source software News

[ian]

On Sat, 2004-03-13 at 07:55, Tom Yates wrote:
> On Fri, 12 Mar 2004, ian wrote:
> 
> > No, I'm not a socialist, I am in business and happen to believe
> > customers should be served by business not simply exploited by either
> > state or private monopolies. This is why Government should fund FLOSS
> > projects but insist they are GPL, not Crown copyright (UK).
> 
> Not only are GPL and Crown Copyright *not* self-contradictory, copyright 
> is required in order for the GPL to apply.
> 
> I don't want to seem deliberately picky, but I think it's worth making the 
> point that free software licences *require* a working copyright system in 
> order to function.  A lot of people, particularly laymen, misunderstand 
> that point and I think that's one of the most common causes of the 
> accusation of "socialism" that we seem to have to defend against on a 
> regular basis.

Sorry should have said not simply Crown copyright. AFAIK, most stuff
that the Gov commissions is Crown copyright but does not allow you to
freely distribute and modify which then loses a lot of the potential of
the initial investment.

-- 
ian <address@hidden>