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Objective?Objective?Posted Dec 23, 2006 22:25 UTC (Sat) by pyellman (guest, #4997)In reply to: Objective? by niner Parent article: Jeremy Allison Has Resigned from Novell to Protest MS Patent Deal (Groklaw)
It's quite simple, niner. The deal undermines one of, perhaps the key underpinning of free software (specifically, the GPL): you must give to others the same rights that were accorded to you.< period. You say it yourself ("even though they cannot extend the covenant not to sue to any other people"), though in apparent complete ignorance of the implications of your own words! I sense behind your words an all too common (mis)interpretation of the intent of the GPL to mean something like "to protect my -- or anyone else's -- freedom to do whatever I want".
The deal also creates categories, or "castes" of "free" software users and developers. Completely antithetical to the philosophy and practice of free software.
I could go into detail, blather about patents, when they will and won't be enforced, etc., but if you can't see the big picture above, such a discussion would be just an opportunity for some smoke and mirrors on your part. Why bother?
Peter Yellman
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