Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 20:15:04 -0500 (EST) From: "John S. Dyson" <dyson@FreeBSD.ORG> To: mycroft@mit.edu (Charles M. Hannum) Cc: dyson@FreeBSD.ORG, dg@root.com, thorpej@nas.nasa.gov, freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, core@FreeBSD.ORG, cgd@netbsd.org, ross@netbsd.org, core@netbsd.org Subject: Re: Copyright infringement in FreeBSD/alpha Message-ID: <199806110115.UAA11224@dyson.iquest.net> In-Reply-To: <el2yav4srcw.fsf@lunacity.ne.mediaone.net> from "Charles M. Hannum" at "Jun 10, 98 08:40:31 pm"
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Charles M. Hannum said: > > "John S. Dyson" <dyson@freebsd.org> writes: > > > Charles M. Hannum said: > > > > > > I suppose that depends on how far back you want to go. I distinctly > > > recall another case of code being copied without retaining a notice, > > > and I was personally flamed quite vehemently when I mentioned it in in > > > a private forum. I can't claim there are more -- though I do wonder > > > -- because I haven't paid much attention to FreeBSD code since then. > > > > > > At any rate, this discussion can only lead to more flames. > > > > > I remember something about that, but the allegations were very > > very untrue. I even witnessed the evolution of the code in question. > > At best, the allegation was a mistake. > > That's *not* true. In the case in question, the code was *clearly* > copied, and in fact a notice was later added -- but only after > repeated insults and harassment by you, Garrett and Rod. Indeed, at > one point I was told that a superset of the code had had my copyright > notice removed and was sent to the Copyright Office to be registered > under someone else's name (an allegation which itself appears to have > been false). > That isn't true, if you are speaking of if_ed.c. Again, I wasn't the author, but I witnessed the evolution. The only reason for the flamage was outrage. If the claim wasn't so outrageous, I would have understood it better. The amazing thing about this was that the driver wasn't brain surgery, except took many hours of testing and debugging that I participated in with the author. Bottom line, such code is behind us, and in the future we are better covered by keeping up-to-date, publically available source code control. For example, I can show the evolution of our code base now, where before, I couldn't. It would probably be good to check code in more often, in order to make sure that specious claims aren't made against it. The problem we have with that is that we do have problems with others grabbing ideas from our stuff without attribution, and using it competitively. I guess the good news is that our codebases are diverging?!?!?!? In order to protect FreeBSD from NetBSD's litigious nature, it seems that is best? That is sad :-(. I suspect that due to the lack of cooperation, or cooperative attitude from NetBSD, that FreeBSD will eventually move forward with a less encumbered Alpha codebase, pushing the technology. We can either work together, or make each other enemies. I wonder how long sniping from NetBSD to FreeBSD will continue? -- John | Never try to teach a pig to sing, dyson@freebsd.org | it just makes you look stupid, jdyson@nc.com | and it irritates the pig. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-alpha" in the body of the message
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