Thank you. That was very interesting, particularly the different views = regarding licensing. It, (licensing), appears to be something of a = labyrinth both ethically and legally. It kinda' sounds like many of the = problems lie with the decentralization of effort. =20 Maybe it depends upon one's definition of success, but I'm fairly = certain that capitalism, like sex, is here to stay, and to succeed there = must be a common objective. Thanks again. Frank Davenport =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Chris Gehlker" To: Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 11:49 AM Subject: Re: Novell and SuSE > On Jan 17, 2004, at 7:37 AM, Craig White wrote: >=20 > > isn't the 'individual' user of Red Hat or xyz distro losing out by = the > > restriction that their distro isn't free to borrow or use the YAST=20 > > code? > > > > doesn't the impact of the YAST license restrictions actually extend > > beyond just the sale for profit? >=20 > Sure, at least to the extent that YaST is actually superior to the=20 > GPLed alternatives. I already conceded that Red Hat was a better = member=20 > of the community than SUSE. That doesn't make SUSE the devil. Note = that=20 > a non-profit distro like Debian can use YaST if they want. >=20 > > The distinction (between the GPL and YaST licenses) is or at least=20 > > should be important to people. > > > > Let's not forget that the corporate world has been a most integral = part > > of development under the GPL and compatible license software. The = GPL > > license has undoubtedly been a catalyst for this if for no other = reason > > than the overall API doesn't rest in the hands of a corporation = whose > > direction may change at any moment. We have been witnessing the = impact > > of this for many years now. >=20 > Sure it's important. It's just not, in my opinion, important enough to = > justify using emotionally loaded words like 'Freedom' to characterize=20 > one side. By granting users a right to redistribute the GPL guarantees = > that *in practice* nobody is going to make a pile of money reselling=20 > FOSS. SUSE just goes the extra step of denying de jure what the GPL=20 > denies de facto. And while Red Hat may forgo the use of copyright law=20 > to try to differentiate their product, they don't hesitate to use=20 > trademark law to achieve the same ends. >=20 > So I agree that the distinction should be important to people but I=20 > also think that it has been overstated here and elsewhere. It is not=20 > as big as difference as those among the GPL, the RPL and the BSD=20 > license, for example. And certainly the GPL, the RPL, the YaST license = > and the BSD license are a lot more like each other than any of them = are=20 > like a typical EULA. >=20 > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss