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I think Linus Torvalds has been very explicit that he believes the GPL has been critical to the success of Linux - specifically, the copyright-enforced obligati
by simiones 1y ago
I think Linus Torvalds has been very explicit that he believes the GPL has been critical to the success of Linux - specifically, the copyright-enforced obligation to contribute back any modifications you make. In a world without copyright, companies would be free to make their own modifications and keep them secret, making it more or less impossible to integrate them into a cohesive whole the way they are more or less forced to do today.
- eru 1y agoGPL only forces you to contribute back a modification you make and publish. > In a world without copyright, companies would be free to make their own modifications and keep them secret, making it more or less impossible to integrate them into a cohesive whole the way they are more or less forced to do today. Private modifications that are never shared with a third party are fine with the GPL. Eg Google doesn't have to share whatever kernel they are using on their internal servers with you.
- dehrmann 1y agoThe things that hold modifications back from being upstreamed are getting consensus with the OSS developers and sometimes the internal legal team. Occasionally, the issue is proprietary information. Usually, it's the time commitment or upstream not being interested. What companies don't like doing is maintaining patches on a fork, and that's enough incentive to give back on its own.