Re: GPL and economics

"Francois Gouget" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The GPL ensures that everyone has equal access to GPL software: all can
> use it, modify its source and distribute the modified source.

No, only those who agree to abide by the GPL's rules regarding redistribution
can modify GPL source and distribute the modified source.

> 2. So let's forget about the 'proprietary' part and see that part about
> the "monopoly under the GPL license". Well, this is impossible too. You
> cannot have a monopoly based on GPL software. Again, dictionary.com says
> in part: http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=monopoly
> 
>     monopoly n.
> 
>     Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling
>     a commodity or service
> 
> But by their very nature the GPL licenses ensure that no single entity
> has 'exclusive control' of the source.

Look again at your definition: exclusive control by one group.  In the case of
the GPL, the group potentially execrcising exclusive control is those willing
to abide by the terms of the GPL.

> If you hire RedHat to do some work on the Linux
> Kernel for you and they suddenly jack the prices up, you can keep your
> source and work on it yourself, or hire Mandrake, Connectiva, IBM, or
> pretty much any other service company to replace them. Nobody has a
> monopoly on GPL software

But no matter which of those groups I go to, I will have to license my work
under the terms of the GPL.  If the Linux Kernel became the dominant OS in the
same way that Windows has, then I would have no choice but to either a)
reimplement the Linux Kernel from scratch (just like I would with Windows) or
b) submit to the Linux Kernel licensing terms (just like I would with Windows).


=====
Sincerely,
Matt Seitz

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