"Viral" just means that if you use GPL code, you need to release derivative work as GPL as well. If you refuse to do so, you are in violation of the license, bu

"Viral" just means that if you use GPL code, you need to release derivative work as GPL as well. If you refuse to do so, you are in violation of the license, but you still retain copyright on your code. Microsoft FUD morphed that into "if you use GPL code, all other code you write automatically becomes GPL (and you lose copyright)", which is wrong.