Re: 'It's just a f*cking kernel...'

[David Kastrup]

"Alfred M. Szmidt" <ams@gnu.org> writes:

>    Precisely what stops a closed source vendor from copying large
>    chunks of GPL'ed code in their code ?
>
> Same thing that stops most people from not stealing things from your
> home: the law, and the repercussions of breaking said law.
>
>    Their apps are closed source, remember ? So, unless one of their
>    developers gets religion, who is to know ? For all we know, half of
>    the code in Vista kernel could be lifted off Linux kernel version
>    2.6.x.
>
> If one suspects a copyright violation, one can go to court, and the
> court can make the source code avaiable for viewing to the people
> involved in the case.

And it is not like it is impossible to reverse engineer and find out
things like that.  In the last case of copyright violation for GPLed
code brought by Welte, he was awarded the costs for reverse
engineering that had been necessary for figuring out and nailing the
violation.

If you don't remember: the postings about it here were really amusing
regarding Terekhov's grip on reality: he paraded the verdict here
hopping with glee, the reason being that the court did not follow
Welte's calculation of his reverse engineering costs and set them a
few percents lower.  Apart from those costs, the defendant had to pay
Welte's legal expenses.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum