Microsoft shares source code with AIDS researchers

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Depends on what you are talking about

RMS refers to user freedom and code freedom. Meaning the end user is free to do what he wants (an end user can even combine proprietary code with GPL code), and the code is free from ever becoming closed. But in order to protect those freedoms, restrictions are placed on the distributor. Even a programmer is technically not restricted, it's only once the programmer becomes a distributor (which is the case for No_Ax) that restrictions are placed. But an in-house programmer has no restrictions whatsoever. You'll never see RMS storm the Gates mansion demanding that GNU code co-mingled with MS code be uninstalled from Gate's own PCs, because as much as he might like to, there's nothing in the GPL to forbid that.

So yes, there is no such thing as completely free from everybody's perspective. Even public domain can be considered non-free in that the code (and thus the original programmer) lacks freedom.

Posted by: Michael Kelly   Posted on: 06/13/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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