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Date:      Mon, 02 Jul 2001 15:17:42 -0700
From:      David Johnson <djohnson@acuson.com>
To:        j mckitrick <jcm@FreeBSD-uk.eu.org>
Cc:        freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: BSD, .Net comments - any reponse to this reasoning?
Message-ID:  <3B40F306.E09332D3@acuson.com>
References:  <20010630174743.A85268@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org> <20010630173455.T344@teleport.com> <20010701032900.A93049@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org> <20010701132353.W344@teleport.com> <20010702152649.A18127@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>

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j mckitrick wrote:

> So what you are saying, then, is that 'Free Software' in the FSF definition
> is not just GPL'ed, but also has the copyright signed over to the FSF so
> they can 'insure' that the code will remain forever GPL'ed?  If so, that is
> damn scary.

The FSF only requires transfering ownership to the FSF in cases of
official *GNU* software. Any software under the BSD license, no matter
who holds the copyright, is considered Free by the FSF.

The goal of the FSF in urging people to use the GPL is not to protect
the software. Microsoft could do all sorts of horrible things to their
copy of FreeBSD, but your copy and mine will still be there untouched.
Instead, the goal of the FSF is to eventually make *ALL* software Free
Software. The GPL helps in this goal because all derivatives have to be
under the GPL as well.

David

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