Expert Says Goldman Code Contained Open-Source Software

[Cuddles McKitten]

This article makes me wonder how many companies use FOSS in closed, proprietary software. It also makes me wonder if the defendant will be able to use the GPL in his defense! :)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703493504576007620971593788.html?m od=googlenews_wsj

EDIT: I can't seem to get the link to fully work (apparently the WSJ requires a subscription if the article isn't linked from Google News), but you can find the full article on Google News.

[zekopeko]

This article makes me wonder how many companies use FOSS in closed, proprietary software. It also makes me wonder if the defendant will be able to use the GPL in his defense! :)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703493504576007620971593788.html?m od=googlenews_wsj

EDIT: I can't seem to get the link to fully work (apparently the WSJ requires a subscription if the article isn't linked from Google News), but you can find the full article on Google News.

You are assuming it's GPL. Even if it is it doesn't matter since companies can use GPL in closed source projects as long as they don't distribute the software to others.

[Dr. C]

Here is a link to the article. The WSJ version is behind a some kind of paywall. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-08/ex-goldman-sachs-programmer-s-expert-says-code-on-web.html. The argument that the software is FLOSS is irrelevant as far as I can see since Goldman Sachs did not agree to its distribution. Furthermore the GPL does not prevent the incorporation of GPL code into a propriety as long as there is no distribution of the code.

[clanky]

Guys, your kind of missing the point here.

The article isn't about "oh noes, evil corporation is stealing our FOSS codez" it is saying that it didn't matter that this guy copied the code because it was open source and therefore freely available anyway.

[zekopeko]

Guys, your kind of missing the point here.

The article isn't about "oh noes, evil corporation is stealing our FOSS codez" it is saying that it didn't matter that this guy copied the code because it was open source and therefore freely available anyway.

Quoting from the article:


...contains a good bit of software that's freely available on the Internet...

Good bit isn't all of it. Also any modification they did to it is theirs.

[phrostbyte]

I wonder if I could get free military-grade government protection of my valuable intellectual property. Or is kind of service only reserved for huge investment banks? :P

[WinterMadness]

if a program uses gpl code and its closed source, how would we be able to find out anyway? especially if they slightly modified it. i bet theres a ton of gpl code in all sorts of proprietary software

[zekopeko]

if a program uses gpl code and its closed source, how would we be able to find out anyway? especially if they slightly modified it. i bet theres a ton of gpl code in all sorts of proprietary software

You can disassemble the binary and look for signs of GPL code.