[computer-go] OT: OS licenses

[Jeff Nowakowski]

On Sun, 2006-08-06 at 11:50 +0900, Darren Cook wrote:
> If the open source library license is anything other than BSD-like this
> will not work: they will have to release their custom code as well. I.e.
> business secrets, an asset. Naturally this will not happen: another
> library (perhaps needing more work) will be chosen or the wheel will be
> reinvented.

Why do they have to release their business secrets?  The point of LGPL
libraries/components is to do commodity stuff.  Business secrets should
be kept separate from commodity software.  If you can't keep them
separate then of course LGPL is not a good candidate, but I think most
of the open source libraries companies use are not directly related with
their core business.

> P.S. I marked this as off-topic, but the same thing is happening here.
> If GoGUI was BSD instead of GPL Mark would do two things:
>   1. Make useful contributions
>   2. Embed it in a future commercial project and make money from it.

This is a good point.  If GoGui was LGPL then Mark should have no qualms
with doing both 1 and 2.  In fact, I think LGPL is the perfect license
for Mark's project, since he said at some point he wants to make money
from it, but he also wants to encourage development of the "framework".

-Jeff