Re: mea culpa on the meaning of Tivoization (was: Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3)

Alan Cox
2007-06-17T23:46:50Z

> > In practical terms it does since a recall/replacement in the event of
> > rule changes is a bit impractical
>
> Indeed. But that's not a legal requirement, it's an economic reason.

Cynical Economists would argue 'legal requirements' are just changes to
the cost of the various economic options. Sometimes when I look at
Microsoft's approach to various cases it seems they think that way too.

> denying the user of the computer the freedom to run modified
> versions of the Free Software in it, by not sharing information as
> to how it could be accomplished.

That's a nice definition but one I can see being sort of abusable
depending how you read it. We head ever more into the disposable computer
era where as a vendor putting the code on ROM is cheap and upgrades don't
matter (throw it away get a new one).

I can tell you how to upgrade it ("you can't") yet I as the manufacturer
can issue new units with modified code so I still control it even though
it is meant to be "free"