Public Domain Python

[Grant Griffin]

Pat McCann wrote:
> 
> scarblac-spamtrap at pino.selwerd.nl (Remco Gerlich) writes:
> 
> > Linux isn't public domain at all! Linux is under the GPL, the GNU license;
> > it uses copyright to ensure that everyone can use the software and change it,
> > *as long as the results are still GPL* (or something like that - there are
> > details, read the thing).
> 
> The first quoted line is, like most statements, not quite accurate.
> Parts of Linux OSes and part of the Linux kernel are under various
> licenses or in the public domain.  Linus seems to have no qualms about
> claiming (see the README) GPL (plus his own addendum to allow
> closed-source modules) coverage of the entire kernel formed of parts
> copyrighted by many people (or none) under many licenses (or none).  And
> since few programmers (literary authors are more circumspect) worry
> about claims of plagiarism from software in the public domain the parts
> of the kernel in public domain are essentially undetectable.

I dunno...haven't you read Eric S. Raymond's piece about the "Gift
Economy" of free/open software?  His thesis is basically that one gains
status in the Gift Economy by giving away ones work, much as one gains
status in a conventional economy by accumulating wealth; therefore, to
carve someone's name of off some piece of software they have written is
to commit the gravest possible sin.

which-is-why-richard-stallman-insists-we-call-'linux'
   -'the-gnu/linux-system'-<<fat chance>>-ly y'rs,

=g2
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
Publisher of dspGuru                           http://www.dspguru.com
Iowegian International Corporation	      http://www.iowegian.com