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The general public still retains the right to modify and distribute your software with a license such as MIT. Your software does not cease to exist once megacor
by lfowles 11y ago
The general public still retains the right to modify and distribute your software with a license such as MIT. Your software does not cease to exist once megacorp uses it for a product. The guarantee of GPL is that megacorp is now obligated to share their modifications (but practically, to go find another library or write their own).
- goodplay 11y agoYou're missing the forest for a single tree. The obligation to redistribute changes under the same license is not the only reason to use the GPL. The license's safeguarding of end-users' right to fix and modify GPLed software is a far more important reason, and is the reason why I and many people like me choose the GPL. I don't want to restrict developers and corps. After all, I am a developer who wants control over my hard work. However, I also don't want to erode the rights of end-users - of whom I also am. I don't want to end up in a situation where I can't fix a bug in my own software because a corporation wont let me. It's a trade off. I choose end-users.