IP: Re: FreeBSD vs. Linux (clearing up some common misconceptions)

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Sender: jamie () genoa essential org
> Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 12:41:36 -0400
> From: James Love <love () cptech org>
> Organization: http://www.cptech.org
> X-Accept-Language: en
> To: "Farber, David" <farber () cis upenn edu>
> Subject: Re: IP: FreeBSD vs. Linux (clearing up some common misconceptions)
>
> While there are no doubt some important technical differences between
> FreeBSD and Linux, and more important distinctions for most
> users that the different licensing regimes.  The Berkeley
> license used by FreeBSD offers users the freedom to take code and
> extend it in proprietary products.  The GNU Public License (GPL)
> is designed to prevent this.  There are many "social, political
> and economic agendas" among users and contributors to the codes,
> and also some practical concerns.    Whether one thinks proprietary
> extensions of free software are good or bad depends not only
> on political and cultural agendas, but on practical issues
> and commercial interests as well.  One of the reasons that
> the GPL is having unexpected acceptance among corporate interests
> is that it protects firms from anticompetitive acts by rivals.
> The fact that no one will own the platform is an incentive for
> some investors in the development effort, and a disincentive
> for others.   I think it is good that both FreeBSD and Linux
> continue to improve.  It should also be noted that FreeBSD and
> Linux distributions both rely greatly upon programs protected
> under a wide variety of licensing schemes, including the Berkeley
> and GPL approaches.
>
>   Jamie
> --
> James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
> I can be reached at love () cptech org, by telephone 202.387.8030,
> by fax at 202.234.5176. CPT web page is http://www.cptech.org