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by michaelmrose 3488 days ago
How is the GPL cancer? Regarding your own software if you don't like the mix of rights and responsibilities it provides don't use it. Your dislike hardly means it isn't a good fit for others.

Regarding others software it gives you the right to use their software with no cost providing you are equally free with the fruits of your own labor. Obviously you might not agree with this but what I don't understand is why you have such a caustic attitude.

What people commonly seem to believe is that the gpl magically sticks other software because you included gpl code. What actually happens is that you can't legally take other peoples code without following the license. Try this with proprietary software sometime. You will be sued to extinction. If one of your employees includes gpl code in your product you will likely be respectfully asked to either gpl the other code or remove the gpl code and be given ample time to do either.

You are 100% able to replace the code you never had a right to and move on the gpl doesn't and can't magically adhere to your code thus calling it "cancer" is silly.

1 comments

Calling it cancer is probably going too far. I think a more apt analogy is that it's a virus. A very contagious one.

Whether you agree with what that virus is propagating or not is a separate discussion.

My personal experience working in this industry for 30 years is that the GPL (and even some of its derivatives) has been pretty much universally banned in every single company I've worked at or know of.

>Calling it cancer is probably going too far. I think a more apt analogy is that it's a virus. A very contagious one.

No more contagious than the license you're probably imposing on your clients.

Er... what? I don't have clients, I don't have a license. What are you talking about?
Virus is also a pretty bad analogy. The privilege of using gpl software as part of your software is bought with trade in kind instead of cash.

You have to make that trade willingly. You can't be infected. I don't think that you have thought this through and invite you to do so.