Re: Open source and RDp (no subject)

I completely agree...two completely different things.

Thanks to all for your input!

-----Original Message-----
From: wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Charles Wilt
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:22 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio Client for System i & iSeries
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Open source and RDp (no subject)

A third point...

There's a huge difference between incorporating open source into your
product and simply making use of open source tools in your business to
build your product.

With RDp ( and it's ancestors RDi, and WDSCi) and the RSE plug-ins,
you're simply using the tools....they have no effect on your end
product.

Honestly, that's all you should need to make your "legal eagles" understand.

HTH,
Charles


On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 10:06 AM, Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Lawyers will always find things to worry about. Not because you should
worry but because they don't get paid otherwise.

Couple of things to consider.

1) RDp itself is based on open source (Eclipse) so you are already
taking all of the supposed "risks" just by using it with or without
the plug ins.

2) The Apache web server you use on IBM i is open source - same things
apply.

This really is a no-op that serves no purpose than to allow lawyers to
line their pockets.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com



On Jul 7, 2010, at 9:36 AM, wdsci-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Another area of our concern is if a Vendor is suddenly (for some
reason) unable to use the open source code any longer (pirated for
example), what would be our exposure?  Could we be accused of
accepting stolen goods?  What happens to the product if, during a
dispute, the open source component is no longer available to the
Vendor?  Will we need to back it out of our own code?  Can the
functionality change?  Will we be (as you mentioned) risking some
portion of our own profit just because we made use of the product?

So the risks seem to range the gamut from civil to criminal.

These are the types of things that seem to keep lawyers awake at
night...and the points they want handled prior to the introduction
of this type of product.

We live in a murky world where people will split hairs for a nickel.

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