Companies like Google and Barracuda Networks use open source software to run their companies, often modifying the code to provide a service, bundling commercial (privately owned) software together with open source software and providing services that run on open source software, but not distributing their modifications. The issue at hand is whether or not a company can modify open source software and use it in their services without distributing their modifications to competing service providers.
Ill advising lawyers and commie software guys are gumming up our real legal language with improper interpretation of "distribution" and "open source." Your legal adviser was doing the same thing, which is why I took the time to try to correct him.
SaaS providers should ensure any modified GPL'd software they use is not deliberately or inadvertently downloaded to the user as this could be considered distribution. "No one can make that call until there has been a court case. [Use] is at your own risk. I'd say be very sure you are not distributing that software," Peters said."
Posted in business | public law | tech jasonn's blog
Submitted by jasonn on March 9, 2007 - 4:09pm.