[ros-kernel] Microsoft Give-Away

[Mike Nordell]

Lorenzo wrote:

> Mike Nordell wrote:
>
> > The "ReactOS license" is the GNU GPL. That license is not restricting
> > uses of the software. It doesn't even try to do it.
>
> That's false: the license restricts your freedom in many ways.

Some people have learned by experience or, simply by being humble, that when
they don't know an area enough it might be wise to seek the advice of the
more experienced before implying what you just did...

> For example, you could not just change its name, package it in
> a binary form and sold it as a your own product in a binary form.

1. What you're describing is copyright violation. It has exactly zero to do
with the fact that you are permitted to _use_ GPL'd software however you
like.

2. Anyone obeying the license of the software is, which should be obvious
had you studied the GPL, free to fork, change name, package, distribute, and
make however much money they think can be made from a 0.2.x version of any
GPL licensed software.


If you disobey the license and do what you suggested as an example of
"restriction" of "your freedom", you are left to international copyright
law - it would be as legal as selling "pirate" copies of Windows XP.


/Mike