[openbeos] Re: Apple to steal yet more BeOS features...

On Sun, 30 Mar 2003 10:02:12 +0200, Imre Leber said:

> > On Fri, 28 Mar 2003, Sigmund Kopperud wrote:
> >
> > > i second changing the license. you should make the license change
> > > retroactive too, so apple can't steal old code
> >
> > Heh. See my previous email. It won't happen. When we shoose the MIT
> > license we knew somethin like this could happen and, if it really 
> > does, it
> > will be actually cool.
> 
> i.e. this project will be accepted by the open source community at 
> large and
> not be a programmer-wannabe-hacker club anymore. Here i agree with 
> you

That's the idea.
 
> , but can you explain to me if i would contribute to OBOS why the 
> following
> would not hold:
> 
> "If i contribute code other companies will use it in there software, 
> making
> my code proprietary so that i can no longer use my own code anymore."

What? This won't happen at all. If a company takes our code and make it 
proprietary, *THEIR* version will be closed, but our version is (and 
will always be) open. No matter what. You can use your own code as you 
see fit.

You're implying that if a company take your code and change the license 
you do not have access to it anymore and this is simply not true. If 
this were true, I could just get, say, OpenBSD, change its license and 
force veryone else to stop using it/workin on it. See how weird this 
scenario looks? :) 
 
> "If others can just take my code and make it proprietary how will 
> this
> benifit the OBOS project?"

It may or may not benefit. That's not really up to us. If someone 
decides to contribute we prefer it to be in good faith than as an 
obligation. After all, none of us, OBOS developers, are doing this as 
an obligation.

-Bruno


--
Fortune Cookie Says:

Of course there's no reason for it, it's just our policy.

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