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Date:      Wed, 29 Nov 2000 10:43:29 -0700
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com>, msmith@FreeBSD.ORG (Mike Smith)
Cc:        nbasila@epcot.revenio.com (Nicholas Basila), jonas.bulow@servicefactory.se, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Here is what IBM thinks about using FreeBSD on their newer Thinkpads
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.2.20001129104056.0496b420@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <200011281757.KAA09532@usr08.primenet.com>
References:  <200011281658.eASGwoF25493@mass.osd.bsdi.com>

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At 10:57 AM 11/28/2000, Terry Lambert wrote:

...

>But I have to say that I'm not at all surprised about the Linux
>"omission", or the phrasing of the statements about "Caldera
>OpenLinux" and "Do not install a non-supported operating system".
>
>The lawyers have quite a different take: if you want to use GPL
>code, or any other code with a source distribution requirement,
>you are required to attend a "handling toxic waste that will
>destroy your patent rights" class, before you are allowed to even
>touch it.  You also have to get "cleared" copies of the code from
>internal IBM servers, so that IBM patents aren't infringed by you
>using a newer version of the code.
>
>There is an 18 page presentation that most of the internal search
>engines will point you to, when you are going through the exercise
>of trying to find information internally.  It boils down to "how
>to double-glove before putting on your biohazard suit to enter a
>class 5 hot zone containing live Ebola".

When IBM acquired Whistle, it acquired a product that included,
and in fact depended upon, GPLed code because FreeBSD does. How 
did it handle this situation? Is there any chance that IBM might be
interested in helping to free the BSDs from the GPL?

--Brett



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