Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 24th Nov 2006 23:05 UTC, submitted by SEJeff
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Member since:
2006-10-24
"Except the GPL developers work is not being stolen, damaged, or lessened. The GPLed work is still protected in every way as delineated by the GPL v2 license. The nv driver has not been broken due to the offer, nor has the kernel been made inoperable."
That's just your opinion, and not that of all legal minds or even of all developers that choose this license. I'm sure many pirates who steal MS software have many such rationalizations about their deeds too... MS doesn't need the money.. MS is evil anyway.. etc etc..
"Nvidia and ATI believe that the method by which they are making drivers available is within the scope of the GPL and I and many others happen to agree. They are not "contravening" the GPL license they are trying to legally interoperate with it. "
Well they seem to have found a way to work around the GPL, but by many accounts not in the spirit of it. But the question becomes much more murky when someone tries to distribute the combined work; Nvidia and ATI have avoided this issue by not distributing the combined work themselves.
"Saying that NVidia releasing free as in beer drivers for Linux but not releasing the source is no better than someone knowingly stealing commercial software is highly dubious."
To the extent that they are profiting (selling more cards etc) on the backs of developers who do not want them using THEIR software they are every bit as bad as the pirates who profit by using MS software against the license of its owner..
"You are free not to use the drivers but to say that offering drivers is the equivalent to illegal distribution of commercial software? I have no basis for common ground with you and leave you to your opinion."
You miss the very point of my post. Everyone is free to do as they wish, but there are legal and moral guidelines one should follow in making appropriate choices.
Cheers.