ProtoCiv: porting Freeciv to Python

[Erik Max Francis]

Mark Carter wrote:
> 
> > - FWIW I'm a proponent of MIT / BSD style "do whatever you want with it"
> > open source licenses, not GPL.  I believe if you're going to give something
> 
> Microsoft have always complained that GPL-ish licences "infect"
> everything they touch (yes, yes, I'm perfectly aware of the irony). I
> was thinking that, if more stuff was released into the Public Domain -
> then that would be a good thing. It might actually be a benefit for
> Microsoft to rip off good quality PD work. If they got it for free,
> then they might be less inclined to roll there own "feature rich"
> solutions, and instead opt for a more conventional approach.

There's plenty of MIT, BSD, and public domain code which Microsoft has
"appropriated" for their own purposes.  It's a part of why they're so
successful.

> There might be a chance - and of course I emphasis the word "might" -
> that they would contribute, in some small way, to ongoing PD efforts.

That chance is about as close to zero as you can get, since they're
already have no problem using public domain and the like code and have
made no effort of ever releasing something back.  Part of their business
model is to buy software, buy the rights to software, or use public
doman/MIT/BSD software, modify it by adding their own lock-in features,
then sell it.

-- 
 __ Erik Max Francis && max at alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/
/  \ San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && &tSftDotIotE
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