ZDNet: Kerberos and the GPL | Linux Today

ZDNet: Kerberos and the GPL

Written By
Web Webster
Web Webster
Jun 22, 2000

Why did Microsoft choose not to use existing code? I cannot
say. The license allows them to use the existing code as is without
legal ramifications.

“However, despite legal availability of the code, it was not
used and this allows Microsoft to open the floodgates. Since they
wrote their own code, they are not, nor ever were, bound to the
M.I.T. license. This means that even if the code had been released
under the GPL, Microsoft could have released a new version with
proprietary extensions without violating the M.I.T. license or
running afoul of the law.”

“So we are now left with Leibovitch’s article, which is clearly
designed only to attack BSD systems. Leibovitch states that
Microsoft’s treatment of Kerberos is an example of real harm to the
free software community that occurred because a BSD license was
used. But as we have already seen, the GPL could have not have
prevented it.”

Complete
Story

Web Webster

Web Webster

Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.

Linux Today Logo

LinuxToday is a trusted, contributor-driven news resource supporting all types of Linux users. Our thriving international community engages with us through social media and frequent content contributions aimed at solving problems ranging from personal computing to enterprise-level IT operations. LinuxToday serves as a home for a community that struggles to find comparable information elsewhere on the web.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.