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Debian developer Antoine Le Gonidec resigns after option allowing corporate LLM use without disclosure wins vote (lists.debian.org)
submitted 1 week ago by to c/linux@programming.dev
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[–] 1 point 5 days ago (1 child)

I completely disagree. What's the main thing the GPL does that is different from public domain or the complete absence of copyright?

It restricts how the code can be used in order to protect the writers and the consumers of the code. Without copyright and copyleft, any company can use any GPL code in any proprietary product they want, without sharing any of their changes and without even crediting the original writers. As an example, Microsoft could adopt the Linux kernel for Windows, heavily modify it, sell it, and stay completely silent about it, without any consequences. That's what a world without copyright means for copyleft.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago (1 child)

    Sure but again this is only a problem if copyright exists. Stallman himself invented GPL due to frustrations of copyright. The permisiveness is default human behavior that was corrupted by evil people and terrible systems. The neutrrance of copyright just returns us to this default state of sharing.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 days ago*

    That's not true at all. Like I said, copyleft relies completely on copyright. It was not at all created in opposition to copyright. It was created in opposition to proprietary (i.e., "unfree") software. Here, from the Wikipedia article on Copyleft (emphasis mine):

    The concept of copyleft was described in Richard Stallman's GNU Manifesto in 1985, where he wrote:[6]

    GNU is not in the public domain. Everyone will be permitted to modify and redistribute GNU, but no distributor will be allowed to restrict its further redistribution. That is to say, proprietary modifications will not be allowed. I want to make sure that all versions of GNU remain free.

    This is impossible to do without copyright existing. Like I mentioned before, without copyright laws, companies can take any code they wish, with any license, and use it in their proprietary software without sharing their modifications.

    Another reference directly from the FSF: "Copyleft is a tool that works within copyright law" (emphasis mine)

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