[Liverpool] OtherOS-on-Linux or Linux-on-OtherOS? was "Multi-Boot Query"

[Lucy]

2009/3/20 Simon Johnson <simon.johnson at gmail.com>:
>
>> I think you misunderstand the FSF's position. They oppose copyright
>> because it creates my right to control distribution of my work, by
>> forbidding everyone else on the planet to do things that do not affect
>> me and that I wouldn't know about without being told
>
> This is often repeated on the Internet but it isn't actually true.
>
> If the FSF really believed this to be true, they'd license everything under
> BSD. If I take Emacs, make some modifications and then sell that without
> providing the source, the FSF definitely would care about that. Even though
> that "does not affect the FSF and that the FSF wouldn't know about without
> being told."

I think this is a case of citation needed, otherwise it just sounds
like you're trolling.

Surely, if the FSF was against copyright they'd release everything
into the public domain rather than use the power of copyright to grant
extra freedoms (or restrictions, depending on your views) with their
own license.

[snip]

>> GPL creates a in-group of people who can freely distribute
>> and modify the group's software, and the way to get into the group is to
>> turn your back on copyright, to choose to respect the freedom-to-share
>> of others within the group by not asserting that your freedom-to-control
>> takes priority.
>
> You're right that the GPL creates an "in-group" of people who can freely
> distribute and modify the group's software. However, in order for this group
> to have an legal protection it requires strong copyright laws. This is the
> power of the GPL and basing the unit of value around the source code rather
> than the binaries is the innovation that created so much high quality
> software.
>
> It's also worth noting that freedom-to-share is curtailed under GPL. You're
> only allowed to share provided you share the source code too.  Under BSD,
> your freedom to distribute is not curtailed in any way.

It could be said that the GPL increases freedom by forcing the sharing
of the code as well as the binary. GPL v BSD is like KDE v Gnome or Vi
v Emacs, it's a matter of personal opinion and no amount of shouting
is going to change someone's mind.