[Freeswitch-users] ZORG, new C++ and Java ZRTP implementation public release

[Kristian Kielhofner]

While I'm not a lawyer the guy that wrote this article (Paul Arne) is
our open source license specialist and him and I have talked about the
AGPL at length (as attorneys usually do):

http://www.mmmtechlaw.com/2010/12/14/gnu-affero-general-public-license-risks-and-opportunities/

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 10:51 AM, Kristian Kielhofner <kris at kriskinc.com> wrote:
> Brian,
>
>  Not really...
>
>  "IANAL" but the AGPL is virtually identical to the GPL except that
> it eliminates the "ASP loophole".
>
>  Let's pretend FreeSWITCH was licensed under the GPL.  Let's say I
> make my own modifications to FreeSWITCH and provide network services
> to my customers.  Under the GPL I am NOT required to provide these
> source changes to anyone because I'm not distributing a binary - I'm
> providing network services to customers.  The binary runs in my
> datacenter (or wherever); it's not being "distributed".
>
>  If you're providing "network services" to customers and not
> distributing software using a GPL license it may as well be BSD or
> something else with a weak copyleft.
>
>  Under the AGPL providing network services to customers is
> essentially equal to distributing binaries under the GPL.  In my
> hypothetical situation above if FreeSWITCH were licensed under the
> AGPL I would be required to distribute my  source changes to my
> customers even though I never provided them with a binary.
>
>  Of course (under both licenses) once I distribute the binary and
> source to my customers I might as well distribute it to the rest of
> the world because are free to do so anyway...
>
> On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 10:11 AM, Brian West <brian at freeswitch.org> wrote:
>> AGPL is the most evil license you can ever pick for anything... its the one that reaches over the socket and steals your code and soul.
>>
>> /b
>>



-- 
Kristian Kielhofner
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