Re: IBM's appellee brief in Wallace case

[Alexander Terekhov]

Alabama Petrofsky wrote:
[...]
>         According to its Preamble, the purpose of the GPL is to guarantee the 
> "freedom to share
> 
> and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its 
> users." GPL at 1. The
> 
> Preamble goes on to explain that:
> 
>                 To protect your rights, 

It appears that it's an easy game for master Wallace. Funny... he 
already let the defendants know that he reads Nimmer. Now,

http://www.ipinfoblog.com/archives/Open%20Source%20Legal%20Issues.pdf

LEGAL ISSUES IN OPEN SOURCE AND
FREE SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION1
RAYMOND T. NIMMER

1 This materials have been adapted from Chapter 11 in Raymond T.
Nimmer, The Law of Computer Technology (1997, 2005 Supp.).

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C. Viral impact: unrestricted vs. copyleft software

The idea of “copyleft” license provisions is a characteristic part of 
at least a segment of the free software and open source software (FSOS) 
community.89 Indeed, it is common in FSOS to view restrictive copyleft 
provisions as the hallmark of truly “free” software, as the community 
defines that term. From the perspective of nonbelievers, however, 
copyleft is the most controversial feature of free software and open 
source software because it affects the user’s rights with respect to 
the FSOS software and may impact the user’s control of software written 
entirely by it when used in conjunction with the FSOS software.

In a stunning example of double-speak, the Preamble to the GPL 
describes the reason for such provisions in the GPL in terms of 
protecting the licensee’s rights:

                To protect your rights,
-----

He he.

regards,
alexander.