In other words, DRM from top to bottom ...

Posted Nov 23, 2009 23:15 UTC (Mon) by mheily (subscriber, #27123)
In reply to: In other words, DRM from top to bottom ... by niner
Parent article: Linux Implements Support For Trusted Computing, Safer Online Transactions (The Gov Monitor)

It's pretty easy for manufacturers to avoid the GPLv3 if they really want to. The Linux kernel is GPLv2. Busybox is GPLv2. uClibc is LGPLv2. Combine these three and you have the basic ingredients for an embedded computer/appliance. This is what Google has done with the Android platform, for example.

In other words, DRM from top to bottom ...

Posted Nov 23, 2009 23:50 UTC (Mon) by gmaxwell (guest, #30048) [Link]

It's also fairly easy for manufacturers to avoid the GPLv2 if they really want to. FreeBSD is not GPL, WinCE is not GPL, code you write is yours to do with as you wish, etc.

Presumably the GPL applications have some advantages which offset the obligations.

Hopefully manufacturers will see advantages in shipping with GPLv3 covered code which are sufficient to offset the potential advantages of the few user-freedom-unfriendly business models that v3 inhibits.

I suspect that this is self-balancing: The more freedom unfriendly devices there are, the more some developers will be inclined to adopt v3, the more advantage freedom friendly devices will gain and the less attractive denying freedom is as a business model.