Comments on: Open Source Doesn’t Mean Public Domain http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/ Part of the problem since 1976 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:23:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4274 Jon Fri, 09 Jun 2006 12:17:15 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4274 elamb, The GPL, and other open-source licenses, have certain restrictions that go along with them, particularly their "viral" properties in which code based on or incorporating GPL'd code is also automatically under the GPL. You cannot make closed source products out of open-source code. Public domain has absolutely no restrictions on it, by definition. You could take public domain code that was out on the internet, package it up and sell it for whatever you wanted without ever letting anyone see the code, or, indeed, telling them where it came from. elamb,
The GPL, and other open-source licenses, have certain restrictions that go along with them, particularly their “viral” properties in which code based on or incorporating GPL’d code is also automatically under the GPL. You cannot make closed source products out of open-source code.

Public domain has absolutely no restrictions on it, by definition. You could take public domain code that was out on the internet, package it up and sell it for whatever you wanted without ever letting anyone see the code, or, indeed, telling them where it came from.

]]> By: elamb http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4273 elamb Fri, 09 Jun 2006 04:22:29 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4273 How does that relate to someone who wants to use Public or Open Source commercially? Just trying to understand the differences. How does that relate to someone who wants to use Public or Open Source commercially?
Just trying to understand the differences.

]]> By: Linux World Net » Blog Archive » This Week’s Gems http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4272 Linux World Net » Blog Archive » This Week’s Gems Thu, 08 Jun 2006 18:50:10 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2006/06/07/open-source-doesnt-mean-public-domain/#comment-4272 [...] A lot of people confuse Open Source and Public Domain. As RMS is fond of saying: “Open Source is only a development methodology”. Jon has a great post about this very topic over on The Linux Myth Dispeller. [...] [...] A lot of people confuse Open Source and Public Domain. As RMS is fond of saying: “Open Source is only a development methodology”. Jon has a great post about this very topic over on The Linux Myth Dispeller. [...]

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