Re: Tom Tom and Microsofts Linux patent lock-down ..

[Rjack]

Hyman Rosen wrote:
> Rjack wrote:
> > There go the goalposts! You wish to minimize my assertion. Let 
> > me repeat. "The GPL is unenforceable under U.S. copyright law".
>
> If you are correct (which you are not) then there will one day 
> appear a case which demonstrates this. Until then, we (that is, 
> those of us who are not you) will go on believing that one either
>  fully abides by the GPL or one does not get to copy and
> distribute. No halfsies.
>
> So far, no plaintiff in a GPL enforcement suit has gone to
> judgment making your claims. Instead, they have all chosen to
> comply with the GPL. Furthermore, presumed foes of GPLed software
> such as Microsoft are careful to keep their wares separate from
> GPLed code, again not choosing to argue as you do.
>
> I suppose I want to minimize your assertion. Even if you are
> correct in some abstract sense (which you are not), what
> difference does it make when no one listens to you and everyone
> behaves as if the GPL works exactly as you claim it does not? The
> FSF doesn't have the goal of proving that the GPL is enforceable,
> they have the goal of giving users the freedom to run, read,
> modify, and share their software.

Ahh... finally the mighty GPL is defined!!
http://life-in-nitc.blogspot.com/2009/03/gaand-pe-laath.html

"It was my friend's birthday a few days back.Here in NITC,to ensure
that birthdays are a "kick ass" experience for the birthday boy,we
give him a good,old fashioned GPL at the stroke of midnight.

For the uneducated,GPL stands for Gaand Pe Laath,literally meaning
kick on the arse.It involves 2 or 4 people(depending on the
squirmishness of the guy) to suspend the unlucky recipient in such a
way that kicks can be easily aimed at the bottom,and any number of
extra people to give the kicks.(In this particular case a total of
22 guys ganged up in the 2 nd floor corridor and kicked the sh#t out
of the birthday boy.)And mind you the kicks are not just a touch on
the butt,they are serious full fledged kicks..Its not "whack" but
"WHACK"!! i've heard tell of a guy who ended up in the hospital due
to an overly over enthusiastic GPL.

The fun thing about GPL s is that anyone can join in.If a stranger
sees a GPL going on, he is welcome to drop in and join the fun.In
fact big and burly guys are always first on the invitation list for
any GPL.

Apart from birthdays,GPLs are also rendered lavishly to
bakhras,toppers and to guys who crack poor jokes.
A classic example is when one guy,who was not awake during the
GPL,wakes up 15 minutes late,barges into the room of the birthday
boy (which is filled with the guys who had given the GPL) and asks
if the GPL is over.We ended up giving the poor guy a better beating
than what we gave the birthday boy."