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Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 19:18:42 -0800 (PST)
From: "Shane R. Stixrud" <shane@stixrud.org>
X-X-Sender: shane@master.geeklords.org
To: Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com>
cc: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>, <mark@mark.mielke.cc>,
       <billh@gnuppy.monkey.org>, <paul@clubi.ie>, <riel@conectiva.com.br>,
       <Hell.Surfers@cwctv.net>, <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
       Beth Van Eman <beth@bitmover.com>
Subject: Re: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in non-free drivers?
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On Fri, 3 Jan 2003, Larry McVoy wrote:
> And therein lies the problem.  You and RMS agree, in his world it is
> like getting your roof repaired or a new washing machine installed.

I only agree with RMS to a point.  Something like google or Ebay would 
still be very much possible in a world where most software was 
GPLed/BSD/etc..  Why wouldn't it be?

> And we owe it all to Google.  To my dieing day I will be grateful to the
> Google team, I shudder to think what it would have been like without them.
> And Google exists because Larry and Sergey want to be rich.  It's as
> simple as that.  They are extremely talented and dedicated people, I 
> have nothing but respect for them.  But it was clear that they were 
> shrewdly building something they knew was valuable and they wanted to
> turn it into a business.
[snip]

For every Larry and Sergey, I am sure you know ten Tom, Dick and 
Harry's who slave away doing amazing things at a large software 
development house. Besides, my reading of the GPL suggests you only 
need to publish source code _IF_ you distribute it to a 3rd party.  In 
house software development would not qualify.

> 
> If they had known that if they built it and anyone could steal their
> technology because it was all free software, there is ZERO chance that
> they would have done it.  They are bright people, they would have found
> some other way to use their talents.  For me, it's a damn good thing
> that they live in our current world, not your world or RMS' world.
> Those are gray, boring, dull worlds.  No thanks.
> 

Again I don't see why Google or Ebay wouldn't exist in a Free Software 
world nor do I see why Larry and Sergey wouldn't make a butt load.  

I think it is important to remember that copyright law was not designed to 
make you or anyone else "rich".  Copyright law is concerned with 
promoting societies progress.

Shane

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