[gentoo-dev] Re: Why should copyright assignment be a requirement?

[Paul]

Jon Portnoy <avenj@g.o>, on Thu Aug 21, 2003 [02:50:01 AM] said:
>
> It's for our benefit. Otherwise, we're screwed.
>
> Frankly, sometimes we have to do things to protect ourselves, even if
> that means that when you contribute something to us, the contributed
> piece that becomes a part of Gentoo belongs in an intellectual property
> sense to Gentoo. You'll find the same situation if you want to
> contribute code to GNU projects: copyright must be assigned to the FSF
> so they can defend themselves.
>
> --
> Jon Portnoy
> avenj/irc.freenode.net

	Hi;

	Thankyou for you candor.
	I am aware of RMS and FSF policies regarding GNU, and
alluded to it. However, I dont see that the situation is
analogous. The FSF isnt collecting copyrights to defend itself,
but the GPL and the body of work it protects. Gentoo
Technologies, Inc.  can only be assumed to be interested in
itself as a business enterprise. And even given the cred the FSF
has built over decades, many people are unwilling to contribute
to them under their copyright assignment conditions.
	Anyway, I think my question has been answered in
spades. Gentoo Technologies, Inc. has every right to set
requirements for contribution; I feel I now understand them
better.

Paul
set@×××××.com

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