gEDA-user: Re: licensing (GPL or otherwise) for hardware?

[Stephen Williams <steve@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Karel Kulhavy wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 13, 2006 at 02:56:53PM -0800, Stephen Williams wrote:
>> Michael Sokolov wrote:
>>
>>> On some rare occasions a paid client will have me develop some piece of
>>> software or firmware that would actually have value to humanity.  On
>>> those rare occasions I always ensure that the work gets open-sourced,
>>> if necessary without the client's knowledge.  Other times I use my
>>> clients' ignorance of the precise terms of the GPL and other free
>>> software licenses and make them believe that they have to open-source
>>> the kernel module I wrote for example, even if they really don't have
>>> to.
> 
> I believe deceiving for a material profit is a criminal act, but deceiving for a
> public benefit is not illegal.

Well, where I live (USA) theft is theft, no matter what the motive.
If I rob a bank and give all the money to a church or a charity,
I'm still going to jail.

And if I steal the source code to Microsoft Windows XP and publish
it on the net for all to see and download, I'm still in biiiiig
trouble (as I should be) no matter how noble the intent.

And if I sign a non-disclosure agreement to gain access to intellectual
property, then turn around and publish it in the public domain against
the clear terms of an agreement *that I signed*, I would surely
expect that the owner of that IP has cause for redress.

This is degenerating into a flame-fest. Let's hurry up with the
Godwin and get it over with. Anybody?
-- 
Steve Williams                "The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
steve at icarus.com           But I have promises to keep,
http://www.icarus.com         and lines to code before I sleep,
http://www.picturel.com       And lines to code before I sleep."


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