Canonical and China

[llanitedave]

What do you mean by "stealing" in the context of free software?

If they don't make it available downstream.

[diesch]

If they don't make it available downstream.

Most free software licenses do not require this.

Violating the GPL doesn't seem to be specific to China. In the past several companies from Europe, the USA, Japan, Korea, ... did that, too. I tend to think that the USA with its patent law and crypto export restrictions is much more a problem for free software.

[gifts basket]

Good news Thank you

[Elfy]

Jailed some posts - please stay within guidelines and CoC

[Paqman]

Well... if the Chinese government really did decide to move the Chinese to Ubuntu, that would finally shakes things up.

The Chinese government (which is hardly a single cohesive unit) has been dabbling with Linux for a while. There's been Red Flag Linux before this. About the best that you can hope for is that the government will switch some of it's own agencies over (which could in itself be millions of users). I doubt even China would be able to enforce what OS people and private businesses used. If they can't or won't stop folks running pirated Windows how will they make them switch to Linux?

It's still a positive move, because presumably there's a juicy contract in it for Canonical, which will go into paying more developers. But it's not like you're going to see a billion new Linux users.

[leclerc65]

I doubt even China would be able to enforce what OS people and private businesses used. If they can't or won't stop folks running pirated Windows how will they make them switch to Linux?

Let the ones who prefer Windows use Windows. I just want the hackers have to use their head more. I doubt that everyone of them excel at 3 or 4 OS at the same time.

[llanitedave]

Originally Posted by llanitedave
If they don't make it available downstream.

Most free software licenses do not require this.

Violating the GPL doesn't seem to be specific to China. In the past several companies from Europe, the USA, Japan, Korea, ... did that, too. I tend to think that the USA with its patent law and crypto export restrictions is much more a problem for free software.

The Linux kernel uses the GPL, and so do many of the included apps, so making changes available downstream DOES apply. If they don't do this, then the term "stealing" is certainly applicable.

I'm not saying they will, although as you point out China has not proven themselves averse to such behavior in the past. And just because they aren't alone in violating GPL doesn't make it acceptable. Companies in Europe and the U.S. who have done that in the past have been brought to court -- and lost.

Working out a deal with Canonical will not exempt them from observing the GPL for the kernel or any other part of the software stack that uses it.

[deadflowr]

I think you mean upstream.
You and I as end users are downstream.
Where ever the source is at is upstream.
But in a sense, you right, because changes that go in one direction, per the GPL, have to be at least be reported in the other direction.

[Linuxratty]

From The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03...anonical_help/

China's decision to plough more resources into Linux development stems from a similar desire to wean
itself off of price gouging technologies developed by Western companies as part
of the nation's latest five year plan.

Chair throwing should commence in 3...2...1....]

[mips]

If they don't make it available downstream.

From questionable recollection the majority of GPL violations I recall have been from countries that enforce copyright & patent law. There have been many GPL violations by companies from the USA for example, Microsoft, Cisco etc.

But I suppose we still need a big bad bogey man, we're good guys and the others are bad...