Re: [lwip-users] ¿GP L or BSD?

[Marc Boucher]

On Wed, Mar 12, 2003 at 10:34:33AM +0100, Sergio PérezAlcañiz wrote:
> 
> Using the GPL will increase the development of the lwIP, because the 
> companies 
> that use it will return to the community its improvements. Otherwise, 
> companies act like a black box that takes code and returns nothing.
> 

Not true. The companies I've integrated lwIP for have all been very keen
in contributing back bug fixes and improvements since they want to
simplify integration of future lwIP versions (and avoid constant
re-merging which would become increasingly difficult if the trees grew
apart too much) and give something back to the community.
Adopting lwIP gives a company a stake in ensuring its ongoing development.

It is also a lot easier to contribute something voluntarily than
being forced to do so by licenses that in practice are difficult
if not impossible to enforce anyway.

Many people in the embedded systems world dislike and avoid the GPL. I believe
that lwIP would be much less successful if it had such a restrictive license.

I would strongly encourage you to rethink your position and avoid forking
lwIP or imposing unnecessary limitations to your modifications.

Marc