That should read "switching MPFR to LGPL v3+" not "switching MPFR to LGPL". Sorry for the typo.
Bill. On 6 Mar, 03:28, Bill Hart <goodwillh...@googlemail.com> wrote: > TomTom is apparently being sued by Microsoft for alleged violation of > 8 of their patents. Five of these patent issues relate to proprietary > TomTom software, not open source. > > The remaining patents are to do with long file names, the FAT file > system and the use of these systems on FLASH EPROM devices. > > Specifically TomTom uses the DosFSTools program, which is part of > linux. As I understand it, they use this to provide a way of updating > their firmware. > > Now the GPL v2 section 7 apparently already prohibits TomTom from > doing a cross-licensed deal with MS (as many companies are alleged to > have done over this issue). If they do the deal, then they are obliged > to stop distributing the software. That would kill the business as > they would have no way of distributing updates to their firmware. > > The DosFSTools program is under GPL v3 which also disallows this. > > What on earth this has to do with MPFR switching to LGPL I do not > know. > > Switching MPFR to LGPL v3+ certainly sends a clear message to the > folks at Microsoft Research and indirectly to the folks who produce > the GPL v2+ version of Sage that is used there. > > Let's clear up another misconception here. GPL v3+ software is NOT > banned from Sage. This is explicitly stated online. It just doesn't > get included in the GPL v2+ version of Sage, so that the folks at MSR > can use it. Those who wish to penalise M$, please go ahead and change > your licenses. It works! > > Bill. > > On 5 Mar, 18:10, Michel <michel.vandenbe...@uhasselt.be> wrote: > > > On Mar 5, 7:02 pm, Robert Bradshaw <rober...@math.washington.edu> > > wrote: > > > > On Mar 5, 2009, at 5:27 AM, Michel wrote: > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > Maybe it is time for Sage to drop its ban on GPL3 code? > > > > This is a topic that we will certainly be revisiting in the future, > > > but I see no reason it is imperative to do so now. > > > > As long as backwards compatibility is maintained with MPFR 3.0, it > > > will be easy to create a newer spkg, and those stuck in GPL2-only > > > land will fall behind. > > > > > After all there is the lawsuit of Microsoft against TomTom. > > > > > If Microsoft does not behave nicely with people using open source > > > > software there is zero reason to be nice to them. > > > > It is not a question of politics or personal opinions about > > > Microsoft. The fact is that, as of right now at least, a lot of > > > people out there are using Windows. Like it or not, In order to > > > provide a viable alternative to Magma, Maple, Mathematica and Matlab > > > we *need* a native Windows port. Microsoft Research is helping fund > > > such a project, and we are reciprocating by providing something they > > > can use. > > > But as I understand it, it is Microsoft that is blocking the inclusion > > of GPL3 code into Sage (it was said on this list people paid by > > Microsoft are not > > allowed to run GPL3 code). If that is indeed the case it seems > > Microsoft's help with the > > Windows port is not helpful at all.... > > > Michel > > > > - Robert --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to sage-devel-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URLs: http://www.sagemath.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
