19 results

Microsoft bans Free Software on Windows Phone 7 (Updated)

Whether it's free as in beer or as in speech, apps with free software licenses are not welcome on the Windows Phone 7 marketplace.

February 17, 2011 by Ed Burnette

GPLv3 Myth #5: GPLv3 is the best license for software

This article concludes a five part series on the latest version of the most commonly used software license: GPL. In this final part we ask the most important question of all: is GPLv3 the best license for software?

October 1, 2007 by Ed Burnette

GPLv3 Myth #4: GPLv3 undercuts the Microsoft/Novell deal

In part 4 of a 5 part series on the new version of the most commonly used free/open source license, today we take a look at one of the reasons it took so long to create--the Microsoft/Novell patent deal. Will GPLv3 really have an effect on this deal and others like it?

August 27, 2007 by Ed Burnette

GPLv3 Myth #3: GPL forbids DRM

In our continuing series on the world's most popular (and least understood) free/open source license, today we look at a controversial subject: Digital Rights Management (DRM). There are two sides to DRM that often get mushed together in discussions: restrictions on content and restrictions on code. We take a look at each one separately and discuss where GPLv3 stands on each issue.

July 29, 2007 by Ed Burnette

Top 5 myths of GPLv3 dispelled (part 1)

Now that the "Final Draft" of the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) is out and we're 30 days away from the official published version, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the least well understood provisions in the license. These are things you might have heard and accepted, but the truth may be different from what you believe. The first one is: You can't sell GPLv3 software.

June 3, 2007 by Ed Burnette

GPLv3 myth#2: You can't mix GPL software with other software

It's a widely held belief that you can't mix GPL code and code covered by other open source licenses. While there are restrictions, it is actually possible in both GPLv2 and GPLv3. New language in the GPLv3 final draft, though, makes this much clearer, and the FSF has said explicitly that GPLv3 is compatible with version 2.0 of the Apache license. In this article we consult with noted open source attorney Lawrence Rosen, plus Jim Jagielski and Justin Erenkrantz from the Apache Foundation, to figure out exactly how this is supposed to work for developers.

June 7, 2007 by Ed Burnette

Software emancipation: An open letter to Linus Torvalds

After years of watching the software industry twist itself in knots trying to differentiate "open" vs. "free" and having to re-invent code simply because it had the wrong comments at the top, I think it's time to put an end to the madness. This promoted me to write the following letter to Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel.

January 21, 2008 by Ed Burnette

New GPLv3 draft takes aim at Microsoft/Novell but loosens crypto restrictions

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) released the long-awaited third draft of the GNU General Public License (GPL) today. In this article, I highlight the major changes and discuss their implications for developers and users.

March 28, 2007 by Ed Burnette

Sun woos FSF with GPLv3 carrot while Linux gets the stick

Sun is set to put its weight squarely behind the Free Software Foundation and GPLv3 by releasing Solaris and Java under the new license when it comes out later this year. Is this an altruistic move designed solely to satisfy the wishes of a vocal developer community, or a tactical move designed to give Solaris a desperately needed ally in the fight against Linux? And what will this new partnership mean for open source pragmatists like Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds?

February 9, 2007 by Ed Burnette

MySQL shies away from GPLv3, free version

How do you make money from free software? One way is to make an "Enterprise" version that you charge for, make the free version harder to find and use, and start using scary words like "indemnity". Will MySQL's new strategy bring in the bucks for its investors, alienate its free software supporters, or both?

January 2, 2007 by Ed Burnette