[mythtv] License

[Alan Perry]

Sid Boyce wrote:
> Mr. Demeanour wrote:
>   
>> Myth TV wrote:
>>     
>>> I do understand the open source movement, in other case I wouldn't
>>> ask anything on this thread. It would be easier to take the code, use
>>> it and saying or asking nothing to you, like many (yes, many)
>>> companies are already doing.
>>>       
>> A well-managed software company goes to a lot of trouble to ensure that
>> its business isn't founded on infringing uses of third-party software.
>>
>>     
>
> The rest will take the risk of not being found out. When found out which
>  usually is the case, they either comply immediately or test the resolve
> and settle up before the case gets heard in court.
> Perhaps this guy would best be advised to google on the outcomes of
> challenges for GPL license violations.
> They expect that if the code is free to download, the license is invalid
> - WRONG and cannot be enforced - WRONG AGAIN - a sort of mentality that
> says why shouldn't we be free to use the efforts of others in our
> product without having to give away our own efforts.
> No one is forced to use GPL code, they can write their own and make it
> proprietary, may be they are too lazy or stupid to do that.
>   
The original poster was asking a straightforward question which turns 
out to have a fairly complicated answer.  And this is not the best place 
to get that answer.  He should be talking to the FSF and, if his company 
is trying to make a commercial product, his company's lawyers should be 
talking to FSF.

As I have been looking at the MythTV code, porting it to a non-gcc C 
compiler and a non-Linux OS, I have seen copyright notices other than 
GPL.  I wouldn't try and make a commercial product out of the codebase 
without a lawyer present.

alan