OT - open source licencing

Stuff deleted and my 2¢ at the end:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon Elson
> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 9:53 AM
> To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Maybe OT, reprap build started
>
> Phil@Yahoo wrote:
> > There is a lot of debate over who invented open source.
> Some say it was
> > Richard Stallman, the founder of the GNU project.
> Perhaps the coining of the term "open source" can be debated.



> > When you
> > have a truly outstanding product you publish a Major
> Revision. Only now it
> > is not accessible. Sure, you obey the letter of the law,
> but there are lots
> > of ways to obfuscate source code. Then you sell binary
> copies or consulting
> > services, or otherwise take financial advantage of whatever
> edge your
> > position affords you. All perfectly legal.
> >
> No, it is not. Obviously, you have not read the GPL or had
> it explained
> to you. If you take
> a GPL program, you are required by the original license to make all
> derivative works ALSO
> open source, and to provide source code on request to anyone who asks.
>
> The FSF has taken upon itself the mission to sue any party
> that breaks
> this requirement
> of the GPL.

Two big cases come to mind -- Linksys used some parts of the Linux kernal
(specifically in a third-party chipset from Broadcom) in their WRT54G series
of access points/routers and were forced to publish the source.

http://lkml.org/lkml/2003/6/7/164

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/news/932666/Linksys-routers-caught-up
-in-open-source-dispute

They now maintain quite the nice library:

http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/gplcodecenter?gplsku=

Microsoft does this at the drop of a hat.

Google: open source violation microsoft

Dave