> The point is […] utilize possibly useful modifications […] The ideology which spawned the GPL is that systems should be open. When a consumer buys something

> The point is […] utilize possibly useful modifications […] The ideology which spawned the GPL is that systems should be open. When a consumer buys something like the Kindle, he or she should be able to make changes to the system, i.e. rebuild a modified version of the OS and use that instead of Amazon’s original version. The GPL is an ingenious way to transform the world of closed software to one where instead it is open, case in point being the Kindle, where Amazon decided to build on source already out there, and due to the license (GPL) in turn has to make their device more open than had they e.g. used BSD licensed software.