Why Open Rails should not go GPL3

[trainsimersteve]

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?29141-Open-Source-Projects-Are-Getting-Ripped-On-Amazon

keep the license the same as it is and this won't happen. Go GPL3 and it just might.

[OTTODAD]

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthrea...pped-On-Amazon
keep the license the same as it is and this won't happen. Go GPL3 and it just might.

Even commercial software is being ripped off by being sold on various pirating web sites and their creators seem to be unwilling to do something about it, requiring a lot of money using solicitors or attorneys to stop them being made available or get compensation for breaching their copyright from smaller web site owners.

Amazon however would withdraw such Freeware software if being made aware of it ?

What about E-Bay ?

O t t o

[muskokaandtahoe]

Amazon however would withdraw such Freeware software if being made aware of it ?
O t t o

And it appears they have.

[danthecpman]

Read the whole thread. it appears they haven't

[longiron]

Another reason Open Rails will not go GPL

http://openbve.freeforums.org/openbve-on-sourceforge-net-t2010.html

read the last post about the negative comments that are the result of not distributing all the necessary files

[muskokaandtahoe]

Read the whole thread. it appears they haven't

I did. I then checked Amazon and could not find the problem offering.

[muskokaandtahoe]

Another reason Open Rails will not go GPL

http://openbve.freeforums.org/openbve-on-sourceforge-net-t2010.html

read the last post about the negative comments that are the result of not distributing all the necessary files

Chris, OR can write almost anything into the license. Something like this:

Distribution of any file provided by this license requires the following:
(1) Per the GPL all source code must be provided.
(2) All distributions must include the phrase "For Open Rails (tm)" in the title of any offering (e.g., "Bob's World Editor for Open Rails(tm)".
(3) All advisory text files (e.g., readme files) provided with your distribution must include the text "The latest version of Open Rails source code and programs are available for free from www.openrails.org" in a font size not less than 8.
(4) All web pages providing the means to obtain Open Rails files must include the text "The latest version of Open Rails source code and programs are available for free from www.openrails.org" in a font size not less than 8.
(5) A free copy of your distribution is provided to Open Rails.org
(6) Your distribution includes material differences to the functionality of Open Rails, as determined by Open Rails.org.

Failure to comply with the distribution terms of this license will result in (at a minimum) a cease and desist letter/e-mail to you, letter/e-mail to your internet service provider and/or any 3rd party "storefront" requesting immediate disabling of the means of 3rd parties to access the violating offering, and public notification that such letters/e-mails have been sent in such forums and locations deemed by OpenRails.org deemed most appropriate to inform potential recipients of your distribution that your adherence to the distribution terms of the license is in dispute.

[OTTODAD]

I did. I then checked Amazon and could not find the problem offering.

Below is what Amazon-UK shows regarding FlightGear.

It sells books about Inkscape and Scribus.

O t t o

[danthecpman]

I did. I then checked Amazon and could not find the problem offering.

see http://www.amazon.co.uk/s?ie=UTF8&se...terfly%20Media

[muskokaandtahoe]

And none of those are listed on Amazon here, in the U.S.

While reviewing the U.K. listing I noticed the products have the following tags:

• Scam
• Ripoff
• Download it yourself
• Fraud
• Copyright Infringement
• Free
• Open Source

Frankly, none of this is an example of what's wrong with a GPL license. It's an example of what's wrong with some people. Consider that distributing software under a GPL license is rather similar to distributing freeware offerings on forums like this. By and large everyone respects the deal but on occasion you get somebody with bad morals and they try to pass off as their own work the efforts of some other person. It happens here... it happens on Amazon.uk too.

Here's the flip side to turning Open Rails into Closed Rails: at some point in time everybody associated with the project will have better things to do, some by choice, others by necessity. Add 10 years and you can call it MSTS. Is that what you want?

[danthecpman]

Here's the flip side to turning Open Rails into Closed Rails: at some point in time everybody associated with the project will have better things to do, some by choice, others by necessity. Add 10 years and you can call it MSTS. Is that what you want?

No, but the current licence, unlike the GPL3, doesn't allow for the program to be forked with little to no change and released as paywear. That is the problem being addressed here. The current licence gives the OR team the legal authority to have any such infringement removed at the drop of a hat.