osOpinion: Loophole in the GPL?

Feb 09, 2001, 07:12 (16 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Duncan Cragg)

[ Thanks to Kelly McNeill for this link. ]

"The following hypothetical is a possible way that an unscrupulous company can bypass the restrictions of the general public license (GPL). I'd love to hear from anyone that can find a flaw in the argument."

"Let's assume that Acme software takes a GPL Neural Network program and starts working on a modified, improved version. Acme intends to make money from its software."

"Next, new employees of Acme are asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) preventing them from discussing the new program or, in particular, publishing, redistributing or releasing the work before the company's embargo release date."

"You can probably see where I'm going with this line of thought, but allow me to go on."

Complete Story

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