Re: GPLv3 comedy unfolding -- vnunet: "GPL3 author calls for open source solidarity"

[Alexander Terekhov]

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2191347/gpl3-author-calls-open-source

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GPL3 co-author Eben Moglen says that open source users must unite in
denying Microsoft's intellectual property claims

Microsoft attempting to 'divide and conquer' open source software

Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com 05 Jun 2007

Companies should not fall for the temptations of purchasing a licence
for Microsoft's intellectual property with their open source
applications because it allows the software giant to "divide and
conquer" the software market.

The comments were made by Eben Moglen, co-author of the forthcoming
third version of the General Public Licence (GPL) and founder of the
Software Freedom Law Center. 

Typifying open source applications as community software, Moglen argued
that it requires a communal defence against patents from companies like
Microsoft. 

But Moglen told vnunet.com in a video interview that some in the
community will be tempted to make a "private peace with the invader". 

"Divide-and-conquer strategies are built around the weakness that it is
in the interest of some people to make a private deal for safety and
abandon communal defence," Moglen said.

"We are trying to prevent a divide-and-conquer strategy from working. So
it is important for us to say to people that they have to stick to the
common defence.

"They cannot make private deals with the invader or the adversaries of
the freedom of the software. We all have to stick together."
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regards,
alexander.

--
"I can change the rules."

   Herr Prof Eben
http://www.linux.com/blob.pl?id=796772290d97058074d8c909e3dde1eb