[Caml-list] off-topic: apple and bsd (was Re: User library license)

[james woodyatt <jhw@wetware.com>]

[sincere apologies for the off-topic message]

On Monday, Feb 24, 2003, at 10:52 US/Pacific, Issac Trotts wrote:
> Sven Luther wrote:
>>
>> The problem with that is that anyone can take your work, modify it, 
>> and
>> don't give anything back, look at apple for example, they took the BSD
>> kernel, and don't give anything back. I think licencing is the main
>> reason they choose a BSD kernel over a linux one back then. I suppose
>> some people (including me) would not be willing to contribute code 
>> under
>> these circunstances, so i don't think it would be best for the 
>> project,
>> since the aim is to put in common the code.
>
> It would be more accurate to say that they "copied" the BSD kernel. 
> "Taking"
> usually means that the one who had it no longer has it.  Why should it 
> matter
> if they use information so long as they don't take away other people's 
> freedom
> to use it?

It would also improve the accuracy of the statement if the phrase "and 
don't give anything back" were elided.  Apple has released the source 
code for the Darwin OS, i.e. the BSD kernel and userland applications 
ported to Apple's not-quite-a-microkernel-anymore variant of the Mach 
microkernel that serves as a foundation for Mac OS X.  There are Darwin 
OS developers who are not Apple employees.  They have their own 
agendas, and they consider their interests served by cooperating with 
Apple in the development of the core of Mac OS X.

The primary difference between the BSD License and the current Apple 
Public Source License is that the latter sports a layer of legal armor 
designed to ward off frivolous IP lawsuits against a publicly traded 
corporation with billions of dollars in liquid cash assets.

[If anyone wishes to dispute this, please message me directly.]


-- 
j h woodyatt <jhw@wetware.com>

-------------------
To unsubscribe, mail caml-list-request@inria.fr Archives: http://caml.inria.fr
Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/
Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners