Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 01:02:04 +0000 From: Mark Ovens <marko@uk.radan.com> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: The GPL and the Robinson-Patman Act Message-ID: <19990224010204.B679@localhost> In-Reply-To: <199902232344.QAA18256@usr09.primenet.com>; from Terry Lambert on Tue, Feb 23, 1999 at 11:44:40PM %2B0000 References: <19990223220438.C216@localhost> <199902232344.QAA18256@usr09.primenet.com>
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On Tue, Feb 23, 1999 at 11:44:40PM +0000, Terry Lambert wrote:
>
> This is actually false.
>
> The FSF has filed suit against an RC5 library, in hopes of weakening
> the patent protection, for inclusion of a glue layer specifically
> designed to interact with GPL'ed code. The resoloution was to make
> a library that wasn't GPL'ed to the GPL'ed libraries interface, to
> make the glue code non-specific.
>
> The FSF has filed suit on two occasions on behalf of SAMBA, based
> on commercial incorporation of SAMBA code, with modification,
> into commercial products.
>
So the FSF obviously takes the GPL _very_ seriously.
> The FSF has a pool of money for sueing people set aside and all
> ready to go, with a specific emphasis on corporations who, god help
> them, release code that includes patented algorithms or processes
> under the GPL.
>
That almost sounds like a contradiction in terms; an organization
representing *free* software having vast financial resources. I
presume their funds come from donations from the likes of Red Hat,
Cygnus etc.?
> RMS hates intellectual property law, period. He will use his
> instrument (the GPL) to make his manifesto reality, at any
> reasonable opportunity.
>
I am interested in the history of all this, such as why RMS manages
to have such a powerful influence over so many people (I believe
it started with a paper he wrote whilst at MIT(?)) that instills
such fervour in support of the GPL (he's not the anti-Christ is he
;-) ) but I don't want to drag this thread down an inappropriate
path so do you know of any URLs or books that will provide this
information?
Thanks
>
> Terry Lambert
> terry@lambert.org
> ---
> Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
> or previous employers.
>
--
FreeBSD - The Power To Serve http://www.freebsd.org
My Webpage http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~markov
_______________________________________________________________
Mark Ovens, CNC Apps Engineer, Radan Computational Ltd. Bath UK
CAD/CAM solutions for Sheetmetal Working Industry
mailto:marko@uk.radan.com http://www.radan.com
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