Ian Hickson wrote: >On the long run, that everyone be allowed to do whatever they like with >all their programs, including modifying them, etc. > >(Emphasis on "everyone" and "all". Not having the concept of 'copyright' >at all would satisfy this, by the way.) > No, it wouldn't. There are a lot of other law that might restrict your ability to modify and reasonably use software. Patents, DMCA (and similar) laws, even some digital signature law require acceptance of the software by certain parties (patent holders, the state, the content provider etc.) independant of copyright.
[Cool] >Just having the source out there doesn't give anyone blanket >permission to use AOL hardware.) > What about MS creating a MIM incorporating with AIM servers and shipping it with AOL's servers in the default server list? Microsoft is not using AOL's servers - MS's users are. If done well, AOL' servers cannot distinguish between AIM and MIM. Note: I'm not excusing AOL here. I just don't see the answer as clear you are convinced to do. >A BSD-like license (or, for that matter, the public domain) would have >been compatible with the letter of the GPL (if not the spirit)... > I don't think that it's a coincidence that the GPL is compatible with the BSD license. I think, it's more an coincidence (not intended) (and a very unfortunate at that) that the GPL is incompatible with the MPL.
