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Sun Exec Backs GPLv3
Hyperbeth writes "Sun's chief open-source officer Simon Phipps said that existing work towards GPLv3 had been 'extraordinary and effective' and he said he is 'frankly amazed by the criticisms'. The article notes that Mr. Phipps' comments are somewhat surprising, given that the recent open-sourcing of Java went forward with GPLv2." From the article: "I am frankly amazed by the criticisms that have [been] levelled at the GPLv3 process. They seem to ignore the incredible and positive way it is evolving and just find fault with things that are already the subject of work... I would be very surprised if the final GPLv3 was not an effective tool for some of the communities Sun sustains or will initiate in the future."
If future versions of java are released under GPLv3, does this mean that you won't be able to use those versions of java to implement DRM?
Actually I find most of the critizism of the GPLv3 "empty, content-free" attacks. In particular Linus has not really shown any argumentation skills. I challenge you to go back and have a look at the discussion on Groklaw, he was only making personal attacks at the "FSF zealots" accusing them of not listening to any critizism. The most funny point was that he was upset that he had not been given a version of the (first?) draft upfront to comment. I mean who does he think he is?! Why should he receive any special treatment just because he wrote Linux. The other thing that really stood out in that discussion is that he was never really answering to any of the other peoples arguments. I find this really typical of the "anti-GPLv3" camp. They mainly accuse the FSF of not listening, but refuse to take part in the draft process. They also act like the GPLv3 is being pushed onto people, it is not. You still have the free choice to use the licence you want.
I was at a conference about 6 years ago. It was devoted to big engineering database applications, and most of us were either using Sun or thinking about it. So McNealy was on hand to give the keynote address. (It wasn't a large conference, but it was in San Francisco, so I guess he thought, "Hey, I won't have to drive far," or something.) Anyway, Sun had *just* released bought and released StarOffice. He made a comment about that in his speech. It went something like, "So, we just bought StarOffice and released it for free, because, well, because we could." And he had this really sneaky grin on his face while he said it, and it was understood that, while there were lots of really cool things going to come of this, he was really enjoying the fact that they were sticking it to Microsoft with the move. (IIRC, it only cost them a couple of million.) It was really funny.
Acts 17:28, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being."