[FYI] UnitedLinux might not be very GPL-friendly

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/27186.html

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UnitedLinux might not be very GPL-friendly

By Tina Gasperson, Newsforge.com

Posted: 19/09/2002 at 06:31 GMT

UnitedLinux held a telephone party yesterday to announce new general 
manager Paula Hunter and talk about its open beta release. 

[...]

But what we at NewsForge really wanted to know was how UnitedLinux is 
planning to stay true to the heart of Linux -- the GNU General Public 
License. Nobody else seemed interested, so we asked how UL managed to 
release a closed beta and still comply with the terms of the GPL.  

UnitedLinux admitted it had its partners sign a non-disclosure 
agreement in order to use the closed beta, which likely means that UL 
violated the copyright of kernel developers everywhere and others who 
have contributed to GNU/Linux. If the NDA was structured so that the 
GPL would take precedence on non-proprietary, Free Software elements 
of the software, then that NDA would not violate the terms of the 
GPL. It is more likely, however, that the NDA squashed the GPLed 
freedoms by forcing recipients of the closed beta to agree that they 
would not redistribute any portion of the software.  

[...]

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