'GPL encumbrance problems'

[jdow]

From: "Erwin Rol" <mailinglists at erwinrol.com>

> On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 18:34 -0800, jdow wrote:
>> From: "Jeff Vian" <jvian10 at charter.net>
>> > On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 21:40 +0000, Andy Green wrote:
>> >> jdow wrote:
> 
>> Some of what I have done for the show control industry involves
>> custom device driver-like gadgets designed to look like MIDI ports to
>> applications but in reality do something a little "different" like
>> control PLCs. If I give that code away "poof" I'm out of a market.
> 
> If you would have to rewrite Linux you would also be *poof* out of the
> market, wouldn't you ? If you would have to buy a 75 Euro WinXPe for
> your 50 Euro gadget you would be 75 Euro more expensive than the
> competition that uses Linux and you would also be *poof* out of the
> market.
> 
> What I don't really understand is how you go *poof* out of the market
> when you sell gadgets that need a open source driver ? People still
> would have to by the gadget, wouldn't they ? 

Gadget is pure software, Erwin.
{^_^}