Behringer [was Re: [linux-audio-user] Re: [linux-audio-dev] RME is no more]

[Joe Hartley]

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 00:58:24 +0100
Tim Orford <tim at orford.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Nov 28, 2004 at 02:31:25PM -0800, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > GPL == GP License
> > 
> > Nothing under GPL is 'owned' by me. It is 'licensed'. I didn't create
> > it so I don't have any rights other than those granted me. If you own
> > something you can do anything you want with it simply because you own
> > it. If it is licensed you must follow the terms of the license
> > specifcally because the real owner only grants you the rights in the
> > license.
> 
> copyright and hence the GPL is not concerned with ownership,
> it only deals with the right to copy.
> 
> ownership of the copyrighted "expression of an idea" is in practice
> not important at all. I have heard people claim that its public domain,
> though i havnt been able to confirm that.

This is the Darl McBride/SCO argument against the GPL.  It makes about
as much sense as the "Wookie defense" on South Park - "If Chewbacca
lives on Endor, you must acquit!"

> Copyright is a 
> totally unnatural utilitarian legal device designed to encourage the 
> nurturing of our culture. 

This was how it was conceived of.  The idea is being perverted through
software patents here in the US to try and lock OSS out of the game, 
legitimizing large, proprietary software companies.  Weasels.  If they
could, they'd patent the "for" loop and sue everyone writing a program
with such a control structure, and our patent office would blindly hand
them the patent.

Hardware, on the other hand, has already had precedents set, and the
rules allowing reverse engineering are pretty well defined, which is 
what allows Behringer to sell an exact copy of someone else's audio
cable tester.

I think if RME believes releasing the data on their Firewire audio
poses a threat to their competitive edge, they probably have a point.

While I'm a huge fan of OSS, I have to respect when companies like
NVidia release binary-only drivers for a device.  I'm just glad that
they do, when so many companies will only release for Windoze, or for
Windoze and Mac only.  I think NVidia's support, for example, is as good
for Linux as it is for any other platform.  Do all bugs get fixed?
Nope, and they don't in 99% of OSS projects, either.

If RME chooses not to do Linux support for their Firewire devices, then
about all we can do is write them and tell them we won't be buying those
devices.

On the other hand, I think it's important to let companies know when we
do purchase their goods because of Linux support, so that they will continue
to do so, open source or not.

Just my $0.02.

-- 
======================================================================
       Joe Hartley - UNIX/network Consultant - jh at brainiac.com
Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa