Re: [oc] Inquiry

[<nico@seul.org>]

Niclas Hedhman <niclas@hedhman.org> a écrit :

> Although I am not a OpenCores user, just hanging around to learn new topic, I
> 
> AM a frequent commercial user of Open-Source Software.
> 
> I would never(!) embed GPL'd code into my products, it's in sane. The legal 
> aspect of it, practically I have to give my value-add to anyone interested 
> (such as competitors).

Humm. That's the usual argument. 

You don't want to give back you're "added value" to linux, for example. But you find "normal" to use for free millions lines of code that would cost billions dollars in developpement if donne by a compagny. Give back improvement (to you're customers !) is the fees to use free software.

If you develop GPL code and somebody else, only sells it without any improvement (like for nessus), that's unfare. But look at linux ! IBM, Oracle, SUN, Suse, Red Hat,... give improvement and each one benefit of the work of the others.

> However, I use a lot of Apache licensed (think BSD) code, BECAUSE they don't
> 
> impose any unreasonable restrictions;

"unreasonable restriction" have you read the "CLUF" of windows, millions people accept condition far more restrictive ! No garanties, you must accept automatic update ,...


> 1. Not allowed to use their name to promote the product.
> 2. Not allowed to remove the copyright statement in source files.
> 

You want to remove copyright statement ? That's a kind of "moral" stealing, don't you think ?

> My "improvements" are typically in form of finding bugs, which I typically 
> provide back, since I want the community to maintain a common codebase, so I
> 
> can easily upgrade.

Where is the difference between BSD licence and GPL licence ? The only difference is that with GPL you must distribute your modification to your customers. If you do it with BSD like one, why do you make a difference with GPL code ?

> Most usage is either in form of
> a. utilizing a service provided, for instance creation of SVG files.
> b. a plug-in to add additional services to a framework.
> Both would be impossible with the GPL, without exposing my trade secrets.

Funny. You use Apache, some piece of work that could cost you billions to develop but you find anormal to help the project a little.

> 
> Bottom line; Most corporations of any size today, have already been through 
> the legal hoo-haa of GPL and made a policy surrounding it, and probably other
> 
> OSS licenses as well. My dozen or so contacts mostly have the following 
> policy in place;
> 1. For using a GPL/BSD licensed product in operations = OK.
> 2. For using GPL in product devlopment = NO.

That's the most complicated part. But a lot of compagny begin to use it (websphere for IBM, opencascade http://www.opencascade.com/ for EADS Matra Datavision,...)
They want to impose there framework and there leadership with it, but for the benefit of every one. (what is the best : having 100% of a 10M$ market or 40% of a 200 M$ one ?)

> 3. For using BSD in product development = OK.
> 
> 
> 

nicO

___________________________________
Webmail Nerim, http://www.nerim.net/


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