Re: [ossig] BusinessWeek: Relicense Linux under the BSD

[Christopher DeMarco <cdemarco@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Aug 23, 2004 at 03:18:48AM +0800, Dinesh Nair wrote:

> BusinessWeek is saying it. don't shoot the messenger. ;)

Yes, but I'll  scold the messenger for  picking such a  rats-ass of an
article  to  post:  halfway through Wildstrom   switches  gears from a
survey of   possible  patent issues with  Linux,  to   a discussion of
close-it-if-you-want BSD-ish licensing.  It's a general list of things
that  some  people  think  are problems with   Linux and  GPL software
without   clear discussion  of either the   risks  or benefits  of the
current status quo.  Classic FUD - style over substance.  

Wildstrom starts by  noting that the   software industry landscape  is
shaped  by copyrights and patents, then  neglects  to mention (a) that
innovation-via-litigation  is a threat to  proprietary vendors as well
as OSS or (b) that  another possible solution  in addition to vendors'
indemnification   of  their  products    would  be  to reform the   IP
legislation that created  the situation in  the first place.  It's not
just an unbalanced article, it's extremely incomplete.  FUD FUD FUD.


-- 
% You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike.
Christopher DeMarco <cdemarco@fastmail.fm>          
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