On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM, aki <aki275@gmail.com> wrote:

@Joseph, this has now become my motto:

 

* If I ever wrote code that was a system for the better of consumer freedoms or choice, I'd rather create the complete system with a team of similar people who share views than give out a single line the code to code thiefs who will use it to defeat the principles of the freedom and choices*.

Ps: (Code thieves is used in the context of this discussion and does not include those real coders)

That's what copyleft licenses such as the GPLs let you do. They require users of your software to distribute any changes they make (if they distribute them) under the same terms. Of course, enforcing the license in case of violation (if you can even find out about it) is another matter.

But these "code thieves", as you call them, mostly use software under more permissive licences. A few who have violated the GPL have been called out in the past: <http://www.google.co.ke/search?q=gpl+violations> and <http://www.google.co.ke/search?q=gpl+enforcement>.

Joseph.