Mitchell Baker wrote: > Arnoud Engelfriet wrote: > >No, it's the FUD that the GPL is 'viral' and therefore must > >be avoided in business environments. It is very well possible > >to combine GPL-licensed software with proprietary applications. > >You just have to make the right architectural decisions. > > Yes, but "just" making the "right architectural decisions" is not easy. > Sometimes almost impossible if the code is already written. And > sub-optimal in far more situations. It takes nothing away from the GPL > to admit that it can be very awkward for use it in business settings.
True. I didn't want to create the impression that it's easy. You have to "think through" what will happen and what parts subsequently will be open sourced, and whether that is acceptable from a business (and legal) point of view. > And in large complex environments, making the right architectural > decisions is difficult enough on purely technical grounds. Adding > another lawyer adds yet more complexity and increases the chance of > failure all around. Adding another _lawyer_? Surely you meant 'layer'? :-) Arnoud -- Arnoud Engelfriet, Dutch patent attorney - Speaking only for myself Patents, copyright and IPR explained for techies: http://www.iusmentis.com/ -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
