Re: Why distrust M$, but trust Sun?

[Alexander Terekhov]

Tim Smith wrote:
> 
> On 2007-07-26, spike1@freenet.co.uk <spike1@freenet.co.uk> wrote:
> > And besides, open office might've been initially released by sun but
> > it is independent of them. Open.Office.org develop open office.
> 
> It's still managed by people from Sun, and they contribute most of the
> code.

More to the point:

http://contributing.openoffice.org/programming.html

"How to submit code to OpenOffice.org

We ask that all code submitted to OpenOffice.org be submitted via Issue
Tracker. In your submission please list "Issue Type" as PATCH. Your code
will be sent to the committer for the appropriate project. 

1. Submit a filled-out copy of the Joint Copyright Assignment form
(JCA); we have a PDF version you may print out. We explain our reasons
for requiring the JCA in the Licensing FAQ. The FAQ further explain the
use and advantages of using this license. 

2. In order for your code to be committed to the source tree: 

    a. Your Joint Copyright Assignment form must have been received.
       This Assignment covers all submissions of code." 

http://www.openoffice.org/licenses/jca.pdf

"OpenOffice.org Open Source Project
Joint Copyright Assignment by Contributor
To Sun Microsystems, Inc. ("Sun")

[...]

Contributor hereby assigns to Sun joint ownership in all worldwide
common law and statutory rights associated with the copyrights,
copyright application, copyright registration and moral rights in the
Contribution to the extent allowable under applicable local laws and
copyright conventions. Contributor agrees that this assignment may be
submitted by Sun to register a copyright in the Contribution."

regards,
alexander.

--
"Mathematics is primarily a language for ensuring reliable results 
in human social activity. "

         -- Columbia Professor Eben Anarcho-Dot Communist Moglen