Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 13, 2006 19:21 UTC (Mon) by sbergman27 (guest, #10767)
In reply to: Sun releases Java under GPLv2 by halla
Parent article: Sun releases Java under GPLv2

No.

+1 for making that connection, though. I considered the possibility that "cleanse their souls" might be interpretted that way, but decided that it was likely a safe enough wording.

"Forgiveness" was widely misinterpretted by the community back then. I misinterpretted it, myself, at first.

But it turned out to be a legal term that did not mean what some of us thought at first.

Consider my phrase "cleanse their souls" to be a bit hyperbolic. ;-)

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 14, 2006 2:03 UTC (Tue) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link] (1 responses)

RMS's statement on "forgiveness" was entirely correct. Read the GPL (v2): by violating it, the violator forfeits his/her license to copy, modify, or distribute the violated code. As copyright holder, RMS was saying that he forgave any such violations, but that the offenders might have to seek forgiveness of others. This language was widely resented by those who didn't understand that there were legal consequences; RMS was asking that these legal consequences be waived, which was hardly a hostile act.

Sun releases Java under GPLv2

Posted Nov 14, 2006 9:48 UTC (Tue) by halla (subscriber, #14185) [Link]

Of course, for that there would have to be any code from the FSF used in
violation. At that time, there was none.