Where is FreeBSD going?

[Narvi]

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004, Gary W. Swearingen wrote:

> "M. Warner Losh" <imp at bsdimp.com> writes:
>
> > Whatever.  I've consulted lawyers on this who assure me that it is
> > legal.  You've admitted to not knowing US Copyright law and are aguing
> > emotion, which is why I didn't reply to the rest of your message.
>
> You obviously don't want to discuss this, and it's easy to guess the
> real reasons.  Your main problem here, and apparently that of your
> lawyers, is that you don't understand what the issues are to which
> copyright law is to be applied.  The legality of collective copyrights
> was not my issue.  Your other problem is putting words in people's
> mouth; I would never admit to know not knowing US copyright law
> because I know it quite well enough to argue FreeBSD's IP issues with
> anybody.  If I don't write with the same seeming authority as you,
> that's more your problem than mine.
>
> I expected my comments to be ignored or brushed off, but I didn't
> expect to be brushed off in your rude and insulting manner.  Maybe
> when I've recovered, and if I haven't made my move to NetBSD yet, I'll
> write up a more complete explanation of FreeBSD's IP problems instead
> of trying to deal with the likes of you in a conversation.
>

Please do. But could you also include reasoning for use of US specific
view (if thats what you are going to use) as there is essentially no
reason why US copyright regulations and practices should preferentialy
apply to it. Especially as the licence has no such stipulations about
applicable law in it.

>
> We can all be glad that it hasn't mattered and might never matter that
> the FreeBSD IP situation is so shabby, I suppose because it sends the
> message that it's all essentially a Gentlemen's Agreement, with only a
> few violators who are more-or-less tolerated.
>

It is not clear that there is a way - as things stand - to get to a point
where this wouldnot be the case. In appears very doubtful there is such a
way unless you can get to get everybody whose code has been ever commited
to send in a real written on paper copyright transfer, the chances of
which are essentialy 0, even should you be able to trace down all
involved.