Culture

IT Business Edge podcast: the impact of GPLv3

Summary of a podcast that IT Business Edge hosted and in which I participated, which centered around GPLv3. A feisty debate at times, but mostly civil, leaving me to wonder, "What benefit does GPLv3 offer that GPLv2 didn't already offer?"

Matt Asay

I spent an engaging hour yesterday with IT Business Edge, talking about the likely industry impact of GPLv3. Other participants on the call included:

  • Rob Enderle, an analyst and principal of the Enderle Group, and also a blogger with us at IT Business Edge;
  • Bernard Golden, founder and CEO of open source consulting firm Navica and a blogger for CIO.com.
  • Chris Maresca, founder and senior partner of the Olliance Group, a leading open source business consultancy.
Rob can be a firebrand, but I found him to be a perfect gentleman and his positions well-reasoned. He did help to make it a real discussion, rather than a "rah rah for open source!" love-fest.

Net net from the call: GPLv3 will not be as groundbreaking as it could have been and, in my opinion, should have been. It brings clarity for attorneys, but it doesn't fundamentally upstage the benefits of GPLv2. That's a pity, in my view.