Viral license: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:26, 24 November 2003

See GPL and other free software licenses to understand the details of what is meant by a viral license.

This term is not well defined' and should be avoided. Microsoft widely uses the term viral to portray both free software and consortia as being like computer virus creators, exploiting the confusion.

The term is also sometimes used to imply required reintegration, which is the controversial requirement that open source objects to in both free software and Consortium license software. When this is what is being discussed, it is far better to use this more specific term and not "viral".

Some think they are two separate concerns, but they aren't: required reintegration *is* a part of making a license viral - without it, new software under new licenses can be produced, thus making the original license not apply, and thus not viral, or "as" viral, as the original.

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-See [[GPL]] and other [[free software]] [[license]]s to understand the details of what is meant by a '''viral license'''.  Usually this term '''''does not''''' imply [[required reintegration]], which is the controversial requirement that [[open source]] objects to in both free software and [[Consortium license]] software.
+See [[GPL]] and other [[free software]] [[license]]s to understand the details of what is meant by a '''viral license'''.
-[[Microsoft]] videly uses the term '''viral''' to portray both free software and consortia as being like [[computer virus]] creators, it is almost always better not use this term.
+This term is '''''not well defined'''' and should be avoided.  [[Microsoft]] widely uses the term '''viral''' to portray both free software and consortia as being like [[computer virus]] creators, exploiting the confusion.
+The term is also sometimes used to imply [[required reintegration]], which is the controversial requirement that [[open source]] objects to in both free software and [[Consortium license]] software.  When this is what is being discussed, it is far better to use this more specific term and not "'''viral'''".
+Some think they are two separate concerns, but they aren't:  [[required reintegration]] *is* a part of making a license viral - without it, new software under new licenses can be produced, thus making the original license not apply, and thus not viral, or "as" viral, as the original.