Novell position on GPL3 draft
Submitted by srlinuxx on Wed, 03/28/2007 - 13:12.
The Free Software Foundation has published today a third draft of the GPL3 license. The FSF had indicated leading up to this draft that it would be addressing some concerns it had with the Novell-Microsoft agreements in the draft. Here’s Novell’s position on the new draft:
- We will continue to distribute Linux. Nothing in this new draft of GPL3 inhibits Novell’s ability to include GPL3 technologies in SUSE Linux Enterprise, openSUSE, and other Novell open source offerings, now and in the future. This is good news for our customers.
- This is a draft for public comment. Novell is not going to offer a public interpretation on specific provisions of the draft at this time.
We are firmly committed to continuing the partnership with Microsoft and, as we always have, fully complying with the terms of the licenses for the software that we ship, including software licensed under GPL3. If the final version of the GPL3 does potentially impact the agreement we have with Microsoft, we’ll address that with Microsoft.
- Novell has been and continues to be a strong supporter of free software and open source. We are significant contributors to a range of free software and open source projects, including kernel.org, openOffice.org, Mono, GNU projects, and more.
---
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 28th, 2007 at 9:21 am and is filed under General, Platforms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
An Escape Clause for Novell in GPL3 Draft?
"unless you entered into that arrangement, or that patent license was granted, prior to March 28, 2007]..."
My question is this: does that last clause in the last sentence mean that for all the hooting and hollering, the Novell-Microsoft deal will be unaffected by GPL v3 if it is ratified as this draft is written? Because to me, that looks like a grandfather clause.
blog.linuxtoday.com
GPLv3 on the Novell-Microsoft Patent Agreement
I thought it would be worthwhile to collect from the FSF's rationale document the explanations of Section 11 on patents in GPLv3 draft 3. That is the section that addresses the Novell-Microsoft patent agreement, particularly the fourth and fifth paragraphs. I think when you read it, you'll see the Novell trajectory. So, I will put first, Section 11 and then the explanation of what the section is trying to accomplish.
The rationale document includes condemnatory language of the patent deal and of Novell's conduct. The company certainly can't any longer after this pretend that the deal has not affected how it is viewed by the FOSS community or that it has not disrespected the GPL, I don't think. Note just this one paragraph, from the section "Note on the Microsoft/Novell Deal":
www.groklaw.net/
Let the Novell Marionette Go
It is said that I have transformed from being a Novell fan to leading a boycott. Novell did a lot for Linux in the past couple of years (especially after Messman had left), but their deal left Free software without choice.
Go go Novell!
Go go Novell!