Re: How long is linux going to be free ?

[Aryan Ameri <a.ameri@linuxiran.org>]

On Friday 28 March 2003 23:15, Dave Sherohman wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 28, 2003 at 09:21:49PM +0200, Aryan Ameri wrote:
> > First of all, you get the wrong meaning for copyrighted. Free software is
> > copyrighted. Linux, and all GNU softwares are copyrighted. Copyright
> > software is not the opposite of free software, we use terms like non-free
> > software, proprietary software, and lock-in software, to imply the
> > opposite meaning of free software.
>
> ...so far, so good...
>
> > But if by Linux, you refer to the platform, it is not possible for anyone
> > to make Linux a proprietary software. Because of the nature of copyleft
> > (as in GPL), you can never get things away from the community. Copyleft
> > software, does not have owner, so though lenghy discussions about this
> > can be made, the short answer to your question is : No, no single entity,
> > individual, company, or government can ever be the owner of free
> > software, and rule it.
>
> ...but then you fall into the same misunderstanding you were just
> trying to dispel.  Copyleft/GPL software _does_ have an owner:  The
> copyright holder(s).  This allows such things as TrollTech being able
> to license a Free version of their libraries under the GPL while
> simultaneously offering a commercial version under a more
> conventional license or other companies offering the latest version
> of their software as proprietary code and GPLing older versions.


Something like MySQL AB I guess right?

> The key, of course (and perhaps this is what you were trying to get
> at), is that once software is distributed under the GPL, there's no
> way to rescind the GPL on that version of the software.  Taking it
> back on later versions can be tricky as well, since (as noted by an
> earlier post in this thread) it would require the consent of all
> copyright holders (i.e., all contributors to the project, unless
> they've assigned the copyright on their contributions to the project
> manager).

Yup, you explained what I wanted to say in a better way.
You are right, I shouldn't have said free software doesn't have owners, it 
does have owners. What I wanted to say, was that once software is copyleft, 
you can't get it back from the community.

thanks for clearing this.

Cheers

-- 


/* Those who do not understand Unix 
 *are condemned to reinvent it, poorly */
                                         -UNDEAD Evil GNU/Linux
Aryan Ameri