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

[amicus_curious]

"Hyman Rosen" <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote in message 
news:FBXvl.138993$2h5.85299@newsfe11.iad...
> amicus_curious wrote:
> > Oh, I haven't heard of any Verizon customer re-programming his router.
>
> Oh, that must mean it never happens. Good point.
Have you seen that done?  It must be extremely rare, if it happens at all. 
Who would ever want to do such a thing?

> > That seems kind of useless anyway.
>
> The point of Free Software is for users to have the freedom to run,
> read, modify, and share the code. It is up to the users to decide
> if they want to do any of those things, but the important thing is
> for it not to be denied them if they do want it.
The practical matter is that there are so very few such users and those 
users are probably mentally deranged anyway.  It would be a kindness to keep 
them from such useless activities.

> This may not be a goal that you share, and if so, when a router
> manufacturer decides to use your software rather than BusyBox, they
> will have to meet your conditions for distribution. Meanwhile, they
> have to meet BusyBox's terms.
I cannot conceive of anyone wanting to create lightweight Linux utilities in 
this day and age.  Certainly not myself and so that scenario could never 
occur.

> > Why bother with some second hand version from Verizon anyway
>
> The distributor of the software must make the source properly
> available under the GPL so that users are able to deal with the
> exact version of the code they are receiving. And because the
> license says so.
"Just because!"  Sounds like a small child with no real answer.

> > Seems like a stupid tactic.
>
> Not when the goal is to give users the freedom to run, read, modify,
> and share the code they receive. It may be stupid in furtherance of
> other goals, and so people who have those other goals will not use
> that tactic. But that's not the FSF or the SFLC or the authors of
> BusyBox.

Well at least we can define the FSF and SFLC as stupid.  That is a 
beginning.