AMIOPEN: Linux, free software and its industry. (Was: Loki Software seems to have filed for bankruptcy.)

[Mike Coleman]

zscoundrel <zscoundrel at kc.rr.com> writes:
> That is one of the largest misconceptions about the open source license
> concept - one fostered by certain old-school software firms, I suspect.  If
> you spend 3 years writing a new software application for any software
> platform, you can release it under any software license that fits your needs.
> You wrote it, it's yours.
> 
> The only time you are obligated to release your code to open source is when
> you use existing open source code base or you make improvements or
> modifications to the OS software.  Since you are just building on the work of
> others, or are using existing open source software as a base, you are
> obligated to release those changes or improvements to the community.  (After
> all, fair is fair.)

This is basically correct, but note that you are *never* legally obliged to
release your code (certainly for the GPL and probably for all OS licenses).

It's just that if you wish to use someone else's code, you may not have the
legal permission to do so if you do not release your modifications (under
certain conditions).

--Mike

-- 
Mike Coleman, mkc at mathdogs.com
http://www.mathdogs.com