Date:  Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:47:39 +0100
From:  Michael Stauber <bq (at mark) solarspeed.net>
Subject:  [coba-e:15070] Re: NuOnce Software
To:  coba-e (at mark) bluequartz.org
Message-Id:  <200902140447.39562.bq (at mark) solarspeed.net>
In-Reply-To:  <20090213210906.M60709 (at mark) ohiowebhosting.net>
References:  <20090213010907.M16778 (at mark) ohiowebhosting.net> <200902132136.09412.bq (at mark) solarspeed.net> <20090213210906.M60709 (at mark) ohiowebhosting.net>
X-Mail-Count: 15070

Hi Lucas,

> What would have happened if Sun did not open source the RaQ OS before they
> discontinued it?

What would have happened if someone had taken the RaQ550 GUI and created 
derivated works off it (like BlueQuartz or BlueOnyx) without Sun Microsystem 
Inc.'s permission?

Sun's lawyers would have put an end to that fairly quickly. Of course they 
would have - just on general principle and not to establish a dangerous 
precedent.

Approaching Sun afterwards and then asking "may we, pretty please?" would then 
have been fruitless.

So what's the difference? The "size" of the company whose work you're 
infringing on? The expertise of their lawyers?

If you respect Brian and the work that he has done, then you will have to 
accept that he is the final and only authority that decides what happens with 
his software. That is a decision that you cannot and should not make for him.

He decided to take a break and to take the software with him. If you publicize 
his work now, do you think that will encourage him to come back and to publish 
new work, or will he feel like the community into which he poured so much 
heartblood has robbed him? 

Think about that for a moment and then think again ...

-- 
With best regards,

Michael Stauber