At 11:07 PM 12/28/00 +0200, you wrote:
>AS>> The same copyright system that disallows you to copy ripped MP3s
>AS>> disallows companies to make proprietary products out of GPLed
>AS>> software. Our copyright system is just fine.
>
>With our GPLed software the matter is pretty complicated. Generally, GPLed
>software is referred to as a "free software". But, in fact, it's not free
>at all, in the common meaning of the word "freedom".
>Also, this copyright business got really out of proportion. Copyright law
allows copyright holder to control distribution.
>
The GPL license was never meant to be an "alternative" to standard copyright.
It was meant to be a "vaccine" to standard copyright. Its purpose is to
prevent
the propagation of current copyright practices by choking off innovative
software
from those who acquire through copyright what is substantially the work of
others.
At first, people used to release their software into the "Public Domain"
for use
by others as they saw fit. However, certain individuals (Bill Gates and his
port
of Basic to the PC comes to mind) made (sometimes minor) modifications to
public
domain code and copyrited it, thus legally hijacking other people's work.
The GPL license was invented to prevent this type of thing. In addition, it
prevents
people from giving out "free parachutes" and charging exorbitant prices for
the
rip-cords (i.e., getting you hooked on some software and then charging for
updates).
GPL has some side-effects, like all medicines. One is the complete loss of
control
over the GPL'd software. Another is the loss of any way to get "fair"
compensation
for software development. While unfortunate, these side-effects must be
considered
relative to the "copyrite disease" whose spread it is trying to control.
GNU/LINUX software is proof that that the "GPL vaccine" is an effective
means of
fight the copyrite law in its present form. Ofcourse things would be better
if there
were no side-effects, but the legalese associated with current copyright
methodologies
makes a less-stringent license subject to abuse, in my opinion.
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