Comment RS imature? Don't care, but his GPL needs work. (Score 1) 375
This person has misunderstood the intention of the GPL. No-one is compelled to release software under the GPL. If they use it, they are making a conscious decision that their work will be covered by the provisions of the GPL - namely, that it must always be freely available and may never become part of a larger project that is not wholly freely available.
If an author released some code and said that anyone could do what they wished with his/her work, noone would complain. Authors releasing under the GPL are merely exercising their right to decide what happens to their work.
If an author released some code and said that anyone could do what they wished with his/her work, noone would complain. Authors releasing under the GPL are merely exercising their right to decide what happens to their work.