DM has actually been helping all of us + GPL not an IP killer

[Sandip Bhattacharya <sandipb@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

[WARNING! Long post]

I keep hearing GPL and other similar licenses are "IP killers" and all
that.  And this is one of the major reasons why Dewang Mehta's
Anti-Piracy drives and other efforts to protect the commercial
software world has generally been sneered at out here...

But, after a lot of thinking, I am surrounded by doubts. Can someone
help me out here??

Whether it is GPL or whether it is M$ draconian licenses - both
extremes of the spectrum, the central idea is always to protect
something - an intangible possession aka property. When a software is
under GPL, it IS under the remote possession of the original
authors. Otherwise why do they still have to power to change the
license as they please?? So the authors retain copyright/etc. of their
"intellectual intangibles". This is very similar to M$ with the
exception that M$ is very blatant about it, going to the extremes of
just "licensing" the product to it's consumers ...

So why are they so apparently different? It is because of how they
deal with IP. Microsoft is extremely possesive about it, while FSF is
just in the opposite direction. FSF, while retaining the property
likes to share the benefits of it with as many people as
possible. Just as Microsoft goes to any length to keep the owsnership
and control of the product to itself, FSF spreads the viral GPL to
ensure that the benefits are always preserved.

This is somethings corporates should understand. Just as Dewang Mehta
ensured that M$ kind of IP should be respected, GNU/*BSD folks should
try and ensure that their IP is also respected. I have seen too many
corporates making mincemeat of M$ kind of IP. If they can't respect
THAT, how can we expect the more benevolent IP of FSF and others?
Too that end, I think the contribution of DM has been good to
everybody - to ensure that corporates pay more respect to any IP. This
has to be continued for the general benefit of the whole IT community.

- Sandip

-- 
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Sandip Bhattacharya 
sandipb @ bigfoot.com
http://www.sandipb.net
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