Richard Stallman will ensure that all programming is done in the Far East and that there is no valid in software engineering in the Weston world.
If you think the licenses are bad and confusing, you should read his =91GNU C/C++ Coding Standards=92 where 50% of this document is not actually a coding standard but tips on how to deal with the gnu license, pitfalls and avoiding lawsuits.
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That guy lives in a very strange world and its a shame a political tin- foil hat wearing nutter is interested in software engineering.
It is not *your* source code. It is *my* source code and I have given it to you. That is my one and only trump card.
I supply a Forth compiler, GPL-ed (under GPL-2, nobody forces me to use GPL-3). I specifically give you the rights to build an embedded application and keep the sources you add hidden from your customizers. That is because I want my compiler to be used. You must not hide from them that you used my compiler, and you must not keep it a secret that it is GPL-ed, i.e. that they can inspect, use and modify that compiler without restrictions, and distribute the result with some reasonable restrictions.
(I see you use the term IP. Despite its common usage "Intellectual Property" is not a legal term. You can't own things that reside in some one brain, not legally. There is some laws about being able to profit from someone's efforts for creating idea's or works of art. Interestingly, only a small part of the profit lands with the artists. Even so, some artists get extravagant pay. In software, extortion based on the need for interoperability is common. In pharmacy extravagant profits prevail over the needs of African aids patients. In pharmacy the intended benefit of society -- stimulation of research for new medicines -- is not effected. So a change in the laws is in order, IMHO. )
Well, I'm one of those. You are evil :-) Now seriously, the idea's you advocate and the way you advocate them, do more bad than good to the society at large.
Groetjes Albert
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Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS
Economic growth -- being exponential -- ultimately falters.
albert@spe&ar&c.xs4all.nl &=n http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst
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