'GPL encumbrance problems' (jdow)

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

Mike McCarty wrote:
> Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
> 
>> Christofer C. Bell wrote:
>>
>>> On 1/19/06, Mike McCarty <mike.mccarty at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> BTW, desiring to control the behavior of others is generally
>>>> considered a personality disorder.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> BTW, that's exactly what commerical EULAs do, also.  So commerical
>>> software distributors are all rife with personality disorders, as
>>> well?
>>>
>>
>> After reading a few EULAs, do you any droughts about them having
>> "personality disorders"?
> 
> 
> Some of them seem to, I agree. But not all EULAs are bad.
> Take, for example, GPL. Do you think it is a bad EULA?
> 
Well, as far as EULAs go, it is a fairly good one. It can be a pain
for programmers, depending on what they are trying to do, and a BIG
problem for a company that want to repackage the code and sell it.
But I would still class it an being written by someone with a
"personality disorder". Otherwise it would be written in a more
understandable form. It shares with more EULAs in that it looks like
something written by a lawyer to be read by lawyers, and nether the
writer or the lawyers it was written for understand programming.

Now, I have seen a few that have a plain language section that tells
you what you can do, followed by a section written for lawyers that
says the same thing is a way that covers the author's ass...

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!