'GPL encumbrance problems'

[Erwin Rol]

On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 18:34 -0800, jdow wrote:
> From: "Jeff Vian" <jvian10 at charter.net>
> > On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 21:40 +0000, Andy Green wrote:
> >> jdow wrote:

> Some of what I have done for the show control industry involves
> custom device driver-like gadgets designed to look like MIDI ports to
> applications but in reality do something a little "different" like
> control PLCs. If I give that code away "poof" I'm out of a market.

If you would have to rewrite Linux you would also be *poof* out of the
market, wouldn't you ? If you would have to buy a 75 Euro WinXPe for
your 50 Euro gadget you would be 75 Euro more expensive than the
competition that uses Linux and you would also be *poof* out of the
market.

What I don't really understand is how you go *poof* out of the market
when you sell gadgets that need a open source driver ? People still
would have to by the gadget, wouldn't they ? 

- Erwin