First Test
The GPL (GNU Public License) which is what most open source software is released under is about to be put to the first test in a court of law. I use GPLv2 for my open source projects. I may shift to GPLv3 for future releases. I’m still waiting for GNU’s release of a common-man’s explanation of what the GPLv3 really means and what changes before I make this decision.
Here is the story.
This greatly interests me because I’ve always been a huge proponent of free software. If software is not free, then I’ll pay for it if I need it, can afford it, and a decent open source alternative does not exist. I’m a member of the Free Software Foundation, and of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. I recently discovered the Software Freedom Law Center at OSCON, and I’ve been reading a bit about them. If I have some spare cash in the future, and it looks like they’re doing the right thing for free software, then I’ll donate some to them as well.
I’m going to keep an eye on SFLC’s RSS feed to monitor progress on this case (and others.) If it looks like I can somehow help out, I’ll see what I can do for them.
I hope that the GPL case actually goes to court, and that the judgment is in favor of the GPL. It would be a HUGE boon for open source and free software. It would prove that you cannot steal from others and make a profit from it. Just because someone gives you the source code, it does not mean that it is part of the public domain. There is a different between licensed free software, and public domain software, and most people don’t realize the difference. It’s time that people with money were taken to point to show them that they cannot just steal something and make even more money off of it.
