
Why companies don't do GPL enforcement - corbet
https://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/716168/2d0eafdc242e44de/
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advisedwang
There are other reasons not to do GPL enforcement too, which Greg K-H sums up
very well: [https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/ksummit-
discuss/...](https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/ksummit-
discuss/2016-August/003578.html)

Summary: Open Source lives and dies by community and engagement. Lawsuits make
people disengage. Better to spend your resources working with people to get
them to come around gently.

~~~
hackits
From a person who makes a living selling software I like GPL v3 where I
dislike GPL v2. This mostly resolves around that I can offer a proprietary
license to the clients for the software in situations they dis-like GPL v3 but
it also keeps everyone source code open for modifications.

~~~
pksadiq
> I can offer a proprietary license to the clients for the software in
> situations they dis-like GPL v3

This is how business works for codes like Qt and Odoo. They didn't choose
[AL]GPLv3+ for the software to be free, but (or along with), for the reason
that it would benefit them. The same tactic may be used by Canonical (Ubuntu)
for their code like Mir, Unity, and other codes with CLA in the near future.

For me, GPLv3 gives the following additional protection:

* Patent protection from the authors (for their own patents that are used in the software)

* More freedom (Eg: A router with GPLv2 Linux + Busybox is simply open source, not free software. That is, you can get the source code of those Linux + Busybox. But the router company may not give you a way to modify the software bundled with the router. GPLv3 protects the users against such locks).

* Easier distribution requirement. If a user asks for source code of some GPLv2 code in a CD or some other offline media, the developer is obliged to (of course the developer can ask for its expenses). for a GPLv3+ code, it is enough to be hosted online/emailed.

~~~
hackits
Agreed your point. That is kind of the reason why I'm reluctant to use the
GPLV2. If you distribute my software I want you to also honor the license
agreement and release your resulting source code. In other words everyone has
a gun pointed at each other head's and it keeps everyone honest.

There are current ongoing issues with GPLV2 with router, ip camera's and some
other big named businesses that have bundled open source software but have not
honored the license agreement and released or make publicly available those
modifications. In doing so they're in breach of the license agreement and
considering they're a commercial entity the copyright holders should rightly
so be compensated.

You can take the chance and be the `nice` guy and release your source code
under a BSD or GPLv2 license though with anything open source don't be
surprised if you find your work inside a Toyota with your email address.

------
oliwarner
It's frustrating that in every software licensing thread on HN people utterly
miss the point of the GPL. It's not there for developers, or businesses, it's
there for users.

 _GPL protects users ' freedoms_. Like the freedom to use it however they like
(no 90-page EULA), the freedom to actually know what's running on their
computer, freedom to change it and share changes.

But what is most annoying here is TFA doesn't really talk about this either.
Protecting users is another factor when weighing up GPL enforcement
strategies. If you put GPL code in a pacemaker that millions of people have,
there's a very strong argument to ensure users of that can inspect the source.

------
kbrosnan
Written by Luis Villa [1] a lawyer with 15+ years of experience working with
opens source communities.

[1]
[https://mobile.twitter.com/luis_in_140/status/84107363612766...](https://mobile.twitter.com/luis_in_140/status/841073636127662080)

------
phkahler
As I was reading this, I started thinking those options enable a company to
exert influence over others in a way that a BSD or MIT license do not. It
almost seemed like an argument to prefer the GPL - at least for major
contributors.

------
Drumlin
Everyone wants an easy and stress free life. If you create a reputation for
yourself of chasing competitors through the courts then you make yourself into
a target. "Do to others as you would have them do to you".

