Author: Jonas Cohonas
Date: 03:17:13 05/17/05
Go up one level in this thread
>I also think the 'author' of Toga was treated very nicely for what he did (At >least compared to other authors of clones in the past). But I think that's also >because Fruit-Toga is playing much stronger than the clones in the past. Agreed. >>An interesting point?... is the right to beta test not reserved the original >>owner of a program, meaning that the only "beta testing" a cloner can do is by >>submitting his derived work to the public? (i am no expert in GPL). > >quote from >(http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLRequireSourcePostedPublic): "The >GPL does not require you to release your modified version. You are free to make >modifications and use them privately, without ever releasing them. This applies >to organizations (including companies), too; an organization can make a modified >version and use it internally without ever releasing it outside the >organization. >But if you release the modified version to the public in some way, the GPL >requires you to make the modified source code available to the program's users, >under the GPL. >Thus, the GPL gives permission to release the modified program in certain ways, >and not in other ways; but the decision of whether to release it is up to you. " > >This is one of the things I don't like about the GPL. Yeah i can see why :) "But if you release the modified version to the public in some way, the GPL requires you to make the modified source code available to the program's users, under the GPL." This sounds very much as if he released it _some way_ already when sending it to Karl-Heinz Söntges. >>>>>But because he also released some game results of Fruit-Toga0.94 he might have >>>>>to release it now in fact as the provided game results could be considered a >>>>>'release' of the program in some way. >>>>> >>>>>Roman >>>> >>>>And why shouldn't he, regardless i mean? >>> >>>I have no idea. But I'm afraid we will see more behaviour like that in the >>>future ... >>> >>>Roman >> >>I just hope this hasn't scared off future releases from being open scource. > >The problem with a program released under the GPL is (IMHO) that anyone can take >your ideas/sources but doesn't have to give you anything back. > >Roman That is sad, it makes me wonder why the gpl did not cover this issue in favor of the original programmer, couldn't they just say that whether kept "private" or sent to a few friends for testing it should be followed by a public release? Basically as it is now it is at best a good measure of someones ethics.
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