It's my personal feeling that the GPL is avoided by many companies simply because if you use it, you're followed by a h[eu]rd of zealots who watch every step you make and pounce on you if you've (for whatever reason) not followed the letter of the GPL - even when you want to comply and have no problems with doing so. The thought of this type of free-range legalish sabre rattling makes most think twice - and this is not a good thing if you ask me. If open source wants to pervade
every part of the software industry (especially embedded software) then a slightly more understanding approach to enforcement of the GPL is needed; I'm not saying change the GPL, but I'm saying the best way to get people to follow it is to communicate *with* them, as opposed to communicating to *everyone else* that they appear to have a problem.

It would really be good that both FS and OS crowds (myself not seeing such a big difference) consider this seriously... As I said, when I first read Richard Stallman's Free Software Manifesto in a preface to an Emacs book, I thought him a bit shy of utopian lunatic. Now his dream is realised, but not so much through millions of us geeks playing with free software, as through other millions about to have better and more accessible appliances thanks to it.

Finally, let me state that I agree with those on this board who think that, ultimatelly, Empeg guys would benefit by opensourcing their software. I don't believe Matsushita or somebody would clone the hardware in order to be able to exploit it... But, of course, it is up to them, and, sadly, Hugo has already expressed his firm opinion about it.

(BTW, as we are becomming allarmingly formal in this thread, let me 'disclose', ridiculous as it might be, that my company distributes Red Hat.)

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196