Businessweek Recommends License Switch for Linux

MadFarmAnimalz writes "BusinessWeek has an article about the perceived threat of patents to linux, citing the SCO case, the opening of OSRM, and the Munich situation as evidence for the veracity of their conclusion that Linux isn't safe. Their solution? Relicense to the BSD license or the Mozilla license. On a positive note, the article's author does link to RMS' article Why Software Should Not Have Owners; good to see Stallman being quoted and linked to in a publication Like BusinessWeek."

Comments

Re:Less incentive to develop

[Twirlip of the Mists]

that's like saying being able to kill people increases your freedoms.

In case you ever start wondering when it was, exactly, that people stopped paying attention to you, this was it. It was the moment when you compared the creation of commercial software to murder.

That's the precise instant when you went from being passionate but misguided to being a complete freak.

Re:Simple BSD allows rape

[Halfbaked Plan]

The only thing you need to know about BSD is that Microsoft favours it.

The only kind of building Microsoft favors are solid buildings which follow the building code.

Does that mean we should all rebel by living in mud huts?

nun too fun

[twitter]

The article is more like:

Rapist prefer the Islamic model of female protection to convents, so rapists demand all women convert to Islam or lawsuits will fly. Nun's habits are much to hard to get inside of and the communal living makes it much harder to get at them alone. Islamic dress, by comparison, is much less restrictive and easier to abuse.

The author fails to grasp the GPL, BSD and confuses both with software patent issues. The GPL is not anti business as IBM, HP and many others can tell you. Microsoft and other companies do have something to worry about, but it's simple competition. It's shocking that a businessman does not understand that much. As for his license advice to programmers, he might do better with women's fashion, but I doubt it.

Re:Less incentive to develop

[maxpublic]

If you want that kind of 'freedom' then code under the BSD license. That's right, go ahead: do your coding under the BSD license.

But for those of us who prefer the GPL - our choice, *not* yours - here's a hearty "piss off and mind your own business".

Max