O> GPL makes this irreversible --- once GPL'ed, always GPL'ed? So how can Apple > force Fedora (or Red Hat) to remove some of its previously existing parts? I Apple is not a party AFAIK to the GPL on that code. If they were then they would indeed not be able to do anything about it. If you contribute or distribute GPL code the GPL ensures you don't have the ability to un-GPL it but it can't remove third party claims. > mean, if Apple somehow manages to patent the kernel, Red Hat would be forced > to remove it? The GPL is specifically designed to fail safe. So yes if some GPL code was found to violate a software patent in an unfixable way (and software patents were found to be valid in law which is looking more and more dubious even in the USA) then the code would probably cease to be available to US citizens or within the USA. It's quite intentionally a "live free or die" licence. The alternative (where a company could use patents to un-free the code) would create horrible economic incentives to attack free software with bogus lawsuits. Alan -- fedora-list mailing list fedora-list@xxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate/MailingListGuidelines
