[Freeciv] Re: forced open source

["Per I. Mathisen" <Per.Inge.Mathisen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just a few, quick points to the discussion:

- Copyright is not all bad. It protects the individal writer from
the publisher, ensuring that she is not ripped off or that her work is not
mangled and given out under someone else's name (without her
permission). This way copyright encourages writing and enables authors to 
write for small audiences and still make a living.

- Most of us are all too painfully aware how copyright has been
extended and abused by greedy companies and their corrupt governments. 
This is not an argument against copyright as such, but against corrupt
government and greedy companies and their law.

- This is not a libertarian vs socialist debate. It is a common sense vs
corporate greed debate, where you will find most people who call 
themselves socialists and most people who call themselves libertarians on
the sensible side, with a few odd ends from both camps on the other. Eric
Raymond is wrong, and his political tunnel vision is of no help here.

- As far as I am aware, IANAL-wise, Freeciv has nothing to fear legally
from Hasbro. This has been discussed before, and I do not think further
discussion will make anyone any wiser. What can be done, however, is to
contact RedHat or GNU and ask if they can ask their lawyer for advice.

- This is a freeciv list, not a copyright or politics discussion
list. Please stay on topic and please do not feed the troll.

Yours,
Per

On Thu, 20 Jul 2000, Tobias Brox wrote:
> > Yes, this is basic Capitalism and private property vs. Marxism and the
> > abolishment of private property.
> 
> Actually I disagree.  I think Eric Raymond has said that anyone supporting
> free software must be a libetarian.  Copyright and patent laws are
> artificial restrictions made by the State.