p2pnet - rss feed: Torvalds says No to GPL3
p2p news / p2pnet: Linux creastor Linus Torvalds says he won’t convert Linux to version 3 of the General Public License because, "he objects to digital rights management provisions in the proposed update," says CNET News.
The Free Software Foundation’s discussion draft of GPL3 takes a, "highly aggressive" stance against digital restrictions management (DRM) software, promised co-author and FSF general counsel Eben Moglen recently.
But, "Conversion isn’t going to happen," Torvalds said in a posting to the Linux kernel mailing list, says the story. "I don’t think the GPL v3 conversion is going to happen for the kernel, since I personally don’t want to convert any of my code."
"As a free software license, this license intrinsically disfavors technical attempts to restrict users’ freedom to copy, modify and share copyrighted works," the draft license states, continues CNET.
"No permission is given…for modes of distribution that deny users that run covered works the full exercise of the legal rights granted by this license."
In short, "some form of locking of GPL code to prevent changes from an authorized version is forbidden," says the post.
But, "I think it’s insane to require people to make their private signing keys available, for example. I wouldn’t do it," CNET has Torvalds saying. "I think it’s insane to require people to make their private signing keys available."
"I also don’t necessarily like DRM myself," Torvalds adds in his mailing list comments, "But…I’m an ‘Oppenheimer,’ and I refuse to play politics with Linux, and I think you can use Linux for whatever you want to - which very much includes things I don’t necessarily personally approve of."
Also See:
CNET News - Torvalds: No GPL 3 for Linux, January 26, 2006
highly aggressive - DRM vs GPL3, January 26, 2006
‘education‘ efforts - MPAA wins Wired Kids award, May 26, 2005
January 28th, 2006 at 4:20 am
What makes Linus Torvalds think he can dictate the terms and licenses of Linux? It is not controlled just by him.
Linus Torvalds needs to be thrown _out_ of the Linux development team because he is looking to destroy Linux by selling it to Microsoft.
January 28th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
wtf are you on??
January 28th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
If Torvald is getting in the way of progress, i think it’s time to create a fork kernel which isn’t owned by him.
January 28th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
It’s not often you find people that aren’t powered by greed. Torvalds has had more oppurtunities than you could throw a stick at to sell his interests in linux to the highest bidder.
He could ok the DRM theme and be immeadiately welcomed into the fold of the corporate world on that basis alone. He isn’t agreeing to DRM because that’s the sort of person he is. His ideas aren’t to lock it all up with no way for it to be of use to the average Joe. Quite the opposite.
If the first two comments don’t get this, I suggest you do some research into the developer of the original linux. I was very sceptical at first but time and again he has had the oppurtunity to show his true self and not what the PR team might make of him to the public. You see that through actions, not through the words said.
January 28th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
January 29th, 2006 at 4:43 am
wtf are YOU on?!
Freedom, is what it is about. Torvalds is being “practical” focusing on the Moola… That’s okay (since I like moola too!)…. but RMS is taking the high road… it’s better for the REST of us!
January 29th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
Consering that Linus supports DRM in ther kernel, I’m not suprized by this. My question here though is how can you have a working DRM with open source? If you have the source code, then you can rip out or modify the DRM itself. What’s the point?
I guess the main thing that he is objecting to is the section of the GPL that deals with private encryption keys.