Comment Re:Business World Fleeing The Viral GPL (Score 1) 195
Actually, no, they wouldn't know. When's the last time engineers and lawyers sat down and talk about that kind of stuff. We don't.
Here's what typically happens:
Engineers design the SW and HW architecture.
Engineers determine what software tools and development packages to use.
Engineer A decides to use GPL'd tools or source code.
Engineer A MAY mention to management GPL use.
Engineering completes project.
Management approves project and MAYBE asks what licenses were used.
Marketing does some magic. Sales does some reading.
At the end lawyers come in to make sure everything is kosher.
IF Engineer A communicated to management and management realized how F*CKED up you'd be since Engineer A (like a dumbass) used GPL'd code, then MAYBE the lawyers would've known.
What happens in cases like this is that the lawyers take the blame although management screwed up by allowing Engineer A to use GPL'd code in the first place.
How do I know? Because when it almost happened with one of the products I worked on. I had enough sense to let my client know that licensing could be an issue. At that point the lawyers knew and they could work from there or even deny my request altogether.
Point is, being a large company doesn't make them anymore guilty, it just makes them more susceptible and visible to GPL infringement if their engineers don't realize how much of a burden it could be if they include it. Also, (please don't strike me down) it's not necessarily the lawyers fault either.
Here's what typically happens:
Engineers design the SW and HW architecture.
Engineers determine what software tools and development packages to use.
Engineer A decides to use GPL'd tools or source code.
Engineer A MAY mention to management GPL use.
Engineering completes project.
Management approves project and MAYBE asks what licenses were used.
Marketing does some magic. Sales does some reading.
At the end lawyers come in to make sure everything is kosher.
IF Engineer A communicated to management and management realized how F*CKED up you'd be since Engineer A (like a dumbass) used GPL'd code, then MAYBE the lawyers would've known.
What happens in cases like this is that the lawyers take the blame although management screwed up by allowing Engineer A to use GPL'd code in the first place.
How do I know? Because when it almost happened with one of the products I worked on. I had enough sense to let my client know that licensing could be an issue. At that point the lawyers knew and they could work from there or even deny my request altogether.
Point is, being a large company doesn't make them anymore guilty, it just makes them more susceptible and visible to GPL infringement if their engineers don't realize how much of a burden it could be if they include it. Also, (please don't strike me down) it's not necessarily the lawyers fault either.
