Re: bsd license question

[kbk@shore.net (Kurt B. Kaiser)]

Damien Miller <djm@mindrot.org> writes:

> They *cannot* retrospectively rescind the license for published software
> unless the license has terms to allow them to do so (and even then you
> could probably argue). Copyright law simply doesn't allow it.

Never said anything about rescinding a license.

> So all this talk about how the GPL "protects" people from companies
> buying open code and "locking it up" is just propaganda. It just can't
> happen - the original code will be there for anyone to use, regardless
> of license.

Yes.  The original code will still be there.  But where will the
leadership, knowledge, and momentum be?

> The GPL does not provide one additional iota of protection if the
> copyright holders of a project sell their rights.

>From a practical standpoint it's unlikely you'll be able to get all
the copyright holders on a GPL project to agree to do this.  You
probably can't even track them all down.

With a BSD-like license you don't have to ask, and that's the beauty
of it.

-- 
KBK