Re: iToaster in violation of GPL?

david parsons (o.r.c@p.e.l.l.p.o.r.t.l.a.n.d.o.r.u.s)
29 Jun 1999 12:14:09 -0700

In article <linux.kernel.3778B874.A72A47FE@gmx.de>,
Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> wrote:
>Mike A. Harris wrote:
>> Didn't the BEOS people steal device driver code
>> from Linux in the past? And afterwards drop the drivers when
>> threatened with possible legal action?
>
>Did they?
>
>I think one must test GPL in court finally. Even these BeOS actions
>(taking a driver and dropping it after threatened) is *not* ok. You
>can't get out of a copyright violation lawsuit by not violating it in
>the future - you already have violated it, and that's it.

Fortunately for the GPL, the law, at least in the United States,
doesn't interpret things that way. If the law worked the way
you said it does (in that there is no way to remedy a trespass)
the GPL would have (a) been dragged into court and squashed like
a bug a long time ago and (b) many many corporations would write
``IF WE CATCH YOU WITH GPL CODE, WE WILL FIRE YOU'' into their
company policies.

____
david parsons \bi/ (b) would be fairly bad for Linux.
\/

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