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UK Govt Warned: Don't Buy GPL

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the just-download-it-instead dept.

JPMH writes "ZDNet is reporting that a UK IT industry body backed by Microsoft, IBM, Intel, BAE Systems and other high-tech heavyweights has urged the UK government not to commission open-source software, and particularly not software covered by the General Public License. According to Intellect, which lobbies for about 1,000 UK IT companies, the requirement of open-source licences for software funded by the government could have a negative impact on competition for contracts, the quality of the resulting software and even the confidentiality of government departments. In particular, Intellect recommends that the government drop the GNU General Public License (GPL), the licence upon which the GNU/Linux operating system is based, from its list of acceptable default licences for government-funded software, and steer clear of the GPL generally."

6 of 806 comments (clear)

  1. BULLSHIT! by boy_afraid · · Score: 1, Troll

    This is BULLSHIT! This is just going to make me more determined to make my GPL application better than commercial and stuff it in thier face and and say, in a Nelson mocking attitued, "HA ha!".

  2. Good Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Considering all the SCO IBM news and IP claims I wouldn't be overly interested in tying my gov. software to GPL either.

  3. BSD is the way to go by Gizzmonic · · Score: 2, Troll

    The GPL license COULD potential open a business up for a lawsuit, and anyone who reads Slashdot knows that GPL-lovers are very quick to cry for censure of any company suspected of violating the license.

    The safest, and most appropriate license for government-funded and government-created software is the BSD license.

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
    1. Re:BSD is the way to go by antiMStroll · · Score: 0, Troll

      Sounds like a 'BSD-lover' to me.

  4. Re:I'm confused! by notque · · Score: 0, Troll

    Great! There is nothing more confusing than when you bash Microsoft and get modded down.

    Just when you have it all figured out, you forget that this week we want to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt.

    --
    http://use.perl.org
  5. irony by twitter · · Score: 0, Troll
    Whine, bitch, groan then accept reality and move on. The rest of the world seems to be ahead of you :)

    The whole reason M$ is whining is because the world is moving onto GPL'd software.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.