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@SuperDicq @sun @kirby @bonifartius
>Have you used GNOME 1.0?

Only briefly a few years ago, as a historic curiosity. Seemed consistent with other UIs of the time, like KDE 1 or Windows 98/2000. Sorry, I don't buy the idea that one must maintain his software into eternity. There's more fun to be had in this world.

Then again, I'm not sure what :rms: has done other than writing emails, giving speeches, and maintaining Emacs. He certainly hasn't succeeded in giving birth to any kind of GNU OS or a free (as in speech) computer of any kind.

@SuperDicq @newt @sun @kirby @bonifartius Yes it does. I can modify GPL code however I want, but as long as I keep it internal, I don't have to share it with anyone. There are companies I know that have private kernel patches that will never be shared upstream and they are internal. Perfectly legitimate thing to do according to GPL. How is that freedom respecting and inline with the GPL spirit. It's simple, it isn't.

@SuperDicq @newt @sun @kirby @bonifartius I've described the typical SaaS scenario. Kernel has a private change that does not need to be public, but the product, a webapp, uses that change for higher profits, in other words, you still selling a product, you've just hidden the private change one layer down. Effectively doing the exact thing that GPL enthusiasts laugh at BSD/MIT for enabling.

@SuperDicq @newt @sun @kirby @bonifartius I think you could get away with it rather easily. The AGPL is mostly just GPL with a network clause that basically says, if it is available over the network, you have to make the source public. GPL does not talk about obfuscated or encrypted source code, it only talks about source code and binary form. And obfuscated code that demangles on the fly isn't a binary form.

At worst, the license does not apply and you don't have to release it if you own the copyright for everything.

@phnt@fluffytail.org @newt@stereophonic.space @sun@shitposter.world @kirby@fsebugoutzone.org @bonifartius@noauthority.social

GPL does not talk about obfuscated or encrypted source code, it only talks about source code and binary form.
No, you are mistaken. It talks about "Corresponding Source" which is defined as the "the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it".

An obfuscated or encrypted source code is obviously not "the preferred form". No court is going is going to agree with is.

@SuperDicq @phnt @sun @kirby @bonifartius
>No court is going is going to agree with is.

Here's the funny thing tho. How many times have courts upheld GPL over the years? A dozen or so?

How much money was spent on those litigations? Hundreds of thousands if not millions per case? How much time does it take on average to enforce GPL in court? Last I checked, it was from several years to upwards of a decade.

GPL is wishful thinking at best.