Overhaul of Linux License Could Have Broad Impact

With all of the patent concerns out there, it was inevitable that the GPL was going to feel some impact of the ever-changing face of software rights…

The rules governing the use of most free software programs will be revised for the first time in 15 years, in an open process that begins today.

Free software, once regarded as a tiny counterculture in computing, has become a mainstream technology in recent years, led by the rising popularity of programs like the GNU Linux operating system.

Industry analysts estimate that the value of hardware and software that use the Linux operating system is $40 billion. And Linux has become a competitive alternative to Microsoft’s Windows, especially in corporate data centers.

So the overhaul of the General Public License, which covers Linux and many other free software programs, is an issue of far greater significance today than before. [Read the rest]

[tags]windows,software,gnu,patents,linux license,mainstream technology[/tags]