Re: GPLv3, was: Copying off Time Machine?

On Oct 3, 2012, at 10:41 PM, Chris Murphy wrote:

>=20
> On Oct 3, 2012, at 4:10 PM, objectwerks inc wrote:
>=20
>>=20
>> On Oct 3, 2012, at 3:53 PM, Chris Murphy wrote:
>>=20
>>> And that is exactly what Apple (and Microsoft) appear to want to =
hold as a reserve option: the ability to benefit from other people's =
work, not contribute back, while simultaneously restricting user freedom =
previously granted under the GPL. The GPLv3 very clearly bitch slaps =
this notion.
>>>=20
>>=20
>> That is really disingenuous.   Apple gives back a ton to the open =
source community.  Besides the whole webkit thing, FreeBSD has a bunch =
of code that Apple put back as do lots of other projects.  This is a GPL =
issue, not Apple's "ability to benefit from other people's work, [and] =
not contribute back".
>=20
> You have examples of Apple contributing back to the GPL licensed code =
they've benefited from?

Your comment was not limited to the GPL.   Especially since Apple is not =
using GPLv3 stuff anyway and are not TAKING anything new wrt GPL so it =
wouldn't apply to them if only being about GPL.  Your comment was about =
" the ability to benefit from other people's work, not contribute back". =
 The end comment about GPL was an addition to, not a restriction on your =
earlier comment.


> Or you only have examples of contributions under licenses that don't =
require that they share anything, letting them pick and choose which =
modifications they share?

Apple puts a ton of stuff back into open source projects.   They just =
avoid the GPL since it is not really about freedom, but control, and =
Apple would like to retain control of their work.

>=20
> I'm well aware that they contribute some things to open source, under =
licenses that let them sleep at night. It is entirely within their right =
to make vertical contributions to particular open source projects, and =
yet reap broad benefit from open source projects.

Which is how EVERYONE does it.  Most people USE a lot more open source =
stuff than they contribute back to even if they are prolific committers. =
 That is usually constrained to a limited number of projects.

> How many tons has the open source community provided that Apple has =
benefited from?

The world has benefitted more from Apple's contributions to open source =
than probably ANYONE else's if you look at pure numbers.  Based on the =
numbers for Webkit use alone, that dwarfs Linux use (or any other =
project -- Linux is probably the most widespread with a few desktops, =
relatively large number of servers, and Android).    Every Android phone =
using Linux also has Webkit on it, so that cancels out.  Then all the =
Chrome and other use of webkit more than cancels out the limited number =
of Linux desktops and the server cadre out there.   (And for Apple =
supported open source spread you  technically you can add OS X use in as =
well since it is based on the open source Darwin project but I won't =
include that since you would just argue about it, fruitlessly btw)

The GPL is not about freedom. It is about control.  For control freaks =
like Stallman and his FSF buddies.


>=20
>=20
> Chris Murphy
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