🚀 go-pugleaf

   Date: 29 Apr 90 17:12:45 GMT
   From: ted@nmsu.edu (Ted Dunning)

   recent postings here have missed the real reason that the gnu license
   is unenforceable:  the free software foundation does not have the
   resources to enforce it.  if their pockets had the depth that apple's
   do, then there might be some point to worrying about the technical
   merits of the license.

The foundation does have a sugar daddy who will cover court costs of
defending their copyright.  Although he doesn't have the resources of
Apple, true, I know he would come through to get things going and I
think the adverse publicity would cause others to come forwad to help.

If this were true there would be no need to assign the copyright on
new programs to the Foundation -- you could just do it yourself.  Just
like sharing sources lets you just write the new part of your program,
assigning the copyright lets you just do the hacking, and not the
legal bull.

   on the other hand, the license has already succeeded in its true
   intent of encouraging source distribution of software.  the reasons for
   this success have not been the legal merits of the license, but rather
   the goodwill of the programming populace.

I find this refreshing and reassuring.  I am glad that there are still
American companies which plan for the long term and realize how much
better off they are with full source distribution and true open
computing.