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Sun's Schwartz Attacks GPL

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the release-the-claws dept.

jskelly writes "Sun Micro President Jonathan Schwartz attacked the GPL at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco yesterday.Other than the same old arguments (you can't make it proprietary later) he adds that it imposes on developing nations "a rather predatory obligation to disgorge all their IP back to the wealthiest nation in the world" -- but fails to mention that the converse is also true: the wealthiest nation in the world is similarly, under the GPL, forced to "disgorge all its IP back to the developing nations" as well. Duh!"

5 of 625 comments (clear)

  1. Is this... by rbochan · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    ... something new for Schwartz, or did I miss a memo somewhere?

    --
    ...Rob
    The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
  2. Re:Nothing wrong with hating the GPL... by MySmurfPossesseth · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Or find enough LGPL'd code that you can write in the rest yourself easily. Either way, no need to send code back.

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    This is a signature virus. Copy to your signature to propagate.
  3. We're all racist bozos on this bus by Roadkills-R-Us · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Essentially the big S is pointing out that we're all evil racists, helping keep the poor, foolish third world countries (who can't afford a lawyer to explain the incomprehensible GPL to them) in servitude.

    I had no idea. I really must thank Mr. Schwartz for enlightening us.

    To atone for my guilt, I'll rush right out and buy a bunch of Solaris products I can neither afford nor need. I'm not sure just *how* this atones for my unthinking racism, but I can trust Mr. Schwartz; he's a big shot CEO. I just hope my children can forgive me for the debt I'm about to saddle them with.

  4. Slashdot editors attack Sun! by SunFan · · Score: 0, Flamebait


    People should read the whole story, because this isn't an "attack" but "an observation." Schwartz is commenting on the _fact_ that many nations are nervous about IBM's intentions with the GPL.

    If Sun were as anti-GPL as Slashdot tries to make them out to be, then please explain why the entire OpenOffice.org codebase is under the LGPL (dual licensed with the SISSL).

    It is truly amazing how Slashdot whines when the GPL is criticised, but they are also the first to put up the battle standard when attacking other licenses or Microsoft (but not beloved IBM!). It's called a double standard.

    --
    -- Microsoft is the most expensive commodity operating system and office suite vendor in the marketplace.
  5. Re:Want to understand this story? by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    Hardly. Sun isn't a patent/copyright terrorist like SCO. In fact, Sun's whole strategy around the CDDL is to _prevent_ litigation, not cause it.

    Every month or so Jonathan says something to convince us he's no friend. Then, a bunch of middle managers from Sun try to smooth it over as best they can and tell us they are really out to save us. Then the next month Jonathan does it again. Who do you think I should listen to?

    Bruce

    --
    Bruce Perens.