Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: [Libreoffice] Proposal to join Apache OpenOffice

On 16 Jun 2011, at 09:27, plino wrote:

> Greg Stein wrote:
> > how can you say that Apache
> > "removes rights from people's contributions"? As a developer, you
> > still own your code. You can do whatever you like with it. Apache
> > doesn't take anything from You.
>
> Easy. Even a non-developer like myself can see that :) 
>
> Compared to GPL (which is what Apache is asking developers to give up on) it
> removes the right to be given back any improvement or fix to the code you
> contributed.
>
> Since many people are doing this pro bono, I think that it is fair that at
> least they retain the right to have access to any fix or improvement to
> their code.
>
> Under the Apache license any company can take your code, fix it and say:
> "Hey, this function in the open source version doesn't work. I just spend a
> day fixing it (instead of  months to write it from scratch). Why don't you
> buy mine which works?"


And right there you have both reached a point so familiar that even I have written an article about 
it:
http://webmink.com/essays/causality/
"The fact it is still an open question after nearly 30 years of free and open source software 
experience suggests both outlooks have merits, and we’ll not resolve the question here!"

S.


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