Re: [gentoo-user] 2 to 3??

["Boyd Stephen Smith Jr." <bss03@volumehost.net>]

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On Wednesday 18 July 2007, Volker Armin Hemmann 
<volker.armin.hemmann@tu-clausthal.de> wrote about 'Re: [gentoo-user] 2 to 
3??':
> a) nobody is forced to buy a tivo. If you don't like it, don't buy it
> and you don't have problems.

TiVo isn't forced to use GPLv3 licensed code -- if they don't use it, they 
don't have problems.

> b) AFAIR Linus owns a Tivo himself.

Yes, I believe he does.

> c) it is morally wrong to try to dictate HARDWARE licence problems with
> a SOFTWARE licence

There's no requirement on the hardware that runs GPLv3 software.  You just 
have to provide the whole source ("preferred format for modification") to 
the full binary (everything that must be in place to run the software on 
the device it was designed for).

> d) If I can't use the software freely anymore one of the key freedoms is
> gone.

Yes, which is why the GPL v3 is necessary.

> This is the same stupidity like anti-terror law. Lets take away freedom
> and free speech to protect freedom and free speeach

Except that the anti-terror laws don't protect freedom or free speech in 
any way, just life (and it's questionable that they do that).  It's more 
like the laws that say you can be thrown in prison for unlawfully 
imprisoning others.  Your freedom will be restricted (you can't use the 
software) if you attempt to restrict the freedoms (namely, the four 
freedoms) of others.

> e) Linus is not alone. You should read what Jesper Juhl wrote in one of
> the lenghty discussions on lkml. Very interessting.
> http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=118211628209101&w=2

1) This concerns draft versions, as the final version wasn't available.
2) Mr. Juhl admits there are downsides to allowing tivoization.

The question really remains -- do you want your code to be able to be 
locked up or not?

BSD is available for those that don't care if the code is locked up.
GPLv3 is available for those that want the maximum level of protection 
against their code (or derivatives) from being locked up.
There are a quite a few other Free Software licenses between those two 
extremes, including GPLv2.

-- 
Boyd Stephen Smith Jr.                     ,= ,-_-. =. 
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