> Remember, the GPL mandates (perhaps
> illegally, but that's another discussion)
No perhaps: it's totally legal.
> that any derivative work be licensed under
> the GPL as well.
Correct.
> This means that for a commercial
> programmer to look at GPLed code is
> professional suicide.
Dead wrong. The GPL is entirely about
copy right. You seem to think that somehow
the GPL (and ONLY the GPL!) some how grants
a patent with the license.
> If he later writes ANYTHING that
> performs a similar function, he may be
> accused of having produced a derivative
> work
You may be accused of anything, by anybody,
at anytime.
> and hence coerced to forfeit the
> fruits of his hard labor.
Not true. If you didn't copy the code, you
didn't create a derivative work.
> Were it not for the GPL's "poison pill"
> provision -- whose EXPLICIT intent
Again, not true. There is no explicit statement
in regards to ruining anybody through
licensing.
> is to sabotage the livelihoods and
> businesses of commercial programmers
The intent of the GPL is
to protect the rights and freedoms of
software users.
> It's simply not prudent to do otherwise.
That's just about the purest example of FUD
I've ever seen.
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My beef is that it is cruel to withdraw a good program from the market. I still use Aldus Intellidraw Version 1.0 because its the best under $1000. To satisfy everyone, it could be sold for what the market can bear and that will be fair to all.
If they do not wish to sell, then, to sell licences seems the fairest arragement ie if a programmer wants to use some code, a formula for a licence can be created, to support development of better programs. Companies that hide behind bullies in the law are wounding the economy they perport to love. They deny consumers and also deny themselves, but the worst of it, is the obsenity of the dog in the manger attitude. If they cannot produce anything better sell it or give it up. Adobe is guilty of this and they should be outed.
More outpourings like this will eventually lead to changes, be it ever so humble keep up the pressure.