[Discuss] Profiting from GPL software

[rlk at alum.mit.edu (Robert Krawitz)]

On Wed, 11 Nov 2015 11:28:12 -0500, Rich Pieri wrote:
> On 11/11/2015 10:59 AM, Greg Rundlett (freephile) wrote:
>> GPLv3 was created in order to combat Digital Restrictions.  Again,
>> contributors to GPL'd software do so to retain, and protect their liberty,
>> not to lock it down and restrict it technically.
>
> At the expense of my freedom to protect my rights.

At the expense of your freedom to deny others the same rights you
have, to be exact.

>> This is a liberating and freedom defending aspect of the GPL.  It makes
>> software about solutions rather than lawyers.  It makes contributions into
>> gifts rather than sneaky backdoor extortion schemes.
>
> It's denying me some of my legal rights to my patents (if I had any).

Again: it denies you any right to deny other people the same rights
you have.  That's the whole point of it.

(Oh, and by the way, the issue you had with assigning your copyright
to the FSF has nothing to do with the GPL per se.  FSF != GNU != GPL.
My understanding is that the copyright assignment does allow you to
continue to use your stuff under any license you choose.)
-- 
Robert Krawitz                                     <rlk at alum.mit.edu>

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