Re: Novell-MS Pact: Novellization

[Alexander Terekhov]

In (article and) comments to

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061107194320461
(Details of Novell-MS Pact - The SEC filing)

PJ:

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Now do you get it, that "Tivoization" is a metaphor for creative ways to
make the GPL toothless? It's a trend, not an isolated event. There's
money to be made, and the GPL is getting in their corporate way. What
they forget is that the code came with a price. The terms of the GPL are
that price.

If you look for and maybe find a workaround so you don't have to pay the
full price you agreed to, what does one call that? If the price for
software you wished to build a business on was money, and you found a
loophole way not to pay what you agreed to, would anyone wish to sell
you any software from that day on, even if you got away with it?

We'd all know what to think of such conduct. Is it any different if the
price of the GPL code is that you can't mix it with proprietary code or
attach patents to it or take it closed? And if you find some devilish
workaround so you don't actually pay that full price, what are you now?
Would it be too strong to call it dishonest? I'll leave it to you to
decide for yourselves.

[...]

This is what I am trying to tell you, that this is another in the
"Tivoization" of the GPL -- ways to step around and over it, without
actually having to abide by it. RMS saw it first, but was he right or
was he right?
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AJWM:

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This is not "Tivoization". I'm surprised Tivo doesn't start getting
nasty about defamation.

Tivo is not attempting to circumvent the GPL, they have a designed-in
limit in their hardware. They freely hand out the source, and won't sue
you if you want to recompile to run on some other platform.

Microsoft and Novell, it seems pretty clear, are deliberately attempting
to circumvent the GPL.

Better to call this Novellization.
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LOL.

regards,
alexander.