UK Govt Warned: Don't Buy GPL

JPMH writes "ZDNet is reporting that a UK IT industry body backed by Microsoft, IBM, Intel, BAE Systems and other high-tech heavyweights has urged the UK government not to commission open-source software, and particularly not software covered by the General Public License. According to Intellect, which lobbies for about 1,000 UK IT companies, the requirement of open-source licences for software funded by the government could have a negative impact on competition for contracts, the quality of the resulting software and even the confidentiality of government departments. In particular, Intellect recommends that the government drop the GNU General Public License (GPL), the licence upon which the GNU/Linux operating system is based, from its list of acceptable default licences for government-funded software, and steer clear of the GPL generally."

Hard to buy

[Anonymous Coward]

That which is free.

I'm confused!

[Anonymous Coward]

IBM is GOOD, because they are making SCO look like fools, but now IBM is BAD, because it wants to make money from its software.

What should I do??

Whose side is IBM on?

[buck09]

On one hand, they do tons of work on GPL'ed software, now here they are against GPL code.

What gives??

That's like Ronald McDonald...

[Boss, Pointy Haired]

telling you not to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken.

DUH.

Yes, don't buy free software!

[tbase]

I'm happy to see Microsoft is looking out for governments worldwide, and not just here in the US.

In other news ...

[Frater 219]

• British Bloodletters' Association and the Snake Oil Forum have issued a joint statement decrying the use of surgery and medicine in UK hospitals.
• Mercenaries Union has called for a more aggressive foreign policy "to protect national interests".
• The Direct Marketers' Association is continuing to lobby against effective anti-spam regulations on the grounds that they "will prevent the expansion of your penis^W^Wour industry."
• The Royal Mad Scientists Society has petitioned for an end to BSE prevention efforts, staging street protests with the slogan "prions are people too!"

Re:I'm confused!

[andy1307]

You can continue to hate microsoft and get modded up on /.. Nothing's changed there..

NEWS FLASH: Fox warns against locking henhouse

[hoggoth]

A study commissioned by the fox, today issued a strong warning against putting a lock on the henhouse. "Locks are dangerous things. They can pinch your fingers. They cause changes in behavior that are undesirable."

Simple equation

[Dr_LHA]

Number of mentions of the word innovations per page is roughtly equivalent to the probability that this report was funded and ghost written by Microsoft.

Lets see: 3 mentions in 4 pages. MS probabilty factor - 75%.

Capitalism is dying

[Anonymous Coward]

Well now that companies are turning countries into virtual communist controlled economies by lobbying for (and getting) extentions to copyright laws, requirements for manufacturers to implement digital restrictions, and tariffs on blank media, expect more of the same in the future. Ironically, socialist operating systems such as Linux and BSD are the only way to avoid a communist future. Linux is socialist software and is not communist in any way, much like the American Heart Association is a socialistic organization and not associated with communism in the least. Capitalism is dead!

Tell them that...

[AzrealAO]

when you head up to the local military base to take an M1A1 Abrahm's for a test spin. You're a tax payer, you paid for the damn thing, about time they let you drive it, right?

Re:BULLSHIT!

[Anonymous Coward]

I look forward to using your well written GPL notepad clone.

Re:I'm confused!

[antiMStroll]

If you're looking to Slashdot for the 'correct way to think', you came here confused. Don't blame the inhabitants.

Re:Yes, don't buy free software!

[tbase]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm a little fuzzy on the human custom of exchanging currency for goods and services.

Re:With any luck...

[Fulcrum of Evil]

you have to remember that lobbying groups in Parliament are 10 a penny.

You must have gotten quite a deal. Over here, they're a dime a dozen.

Re:Whose side is IBM on?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's very simple really. They're just trying to keep a seperation between church and state. Isn't Linux a religion? ;)

Re:I'm confused!

[The J Kid]

It's Thursday, so we like Enterprise Linux, so this is bad news. But it's
July, so this is good news. But the day of the week is odd, so we're
supposed to only bash Microsoft and SCO. But the 1 of the digits in the day matches 2 digits
year, so we only especially entrench ourselfs against critisism the GPL. But it was
posted AFTER 18:00, so this is good news.

Got it?

Re:IBM too?

[4of12]

Just because you are a member of a group does not mean you always have to agree with the majority.

I know. I'm an American.

Re:Well, of course. GPL is severely restrictive.

[Anonymous Coward]

These are taxpayer dollars we're talking about.

No, they're taxpayer Pounds, stoopid... ;)

Re:I'm confused!

[Eric Ass Raymond]

I suppose you've never tried living with a woman?

Re:I'm confused!

[Laur]

You've played Dragon Poker!

Greater probability

[TrekkieGod]

In addition to the 75% MS probability factor, there's also a 150% chance Ballmer wrote it himself. The word "developers" is mentioned 6 times in those 4 pages.

Re:That's like Ronald McDonald...

[Boyceterous]

At least the KFC kernel is very stable, having been dead for some years now...oh wait, that's colonel!

Re:I'm confused!

[jmacleod9975]

Shopkeeper: I must warn you the doll is cursed.
Homer: That's bad.
Homer: But it comes with a free frogurt!
Homer: That's good.
Shopkeeper: The frogurt is also cursed.
Homer: That's bad!
Shopkeeper: But it comes with a free choice of toppings!
Homer: That's good!
Shopkeeper: The toppings contain sodium benzoate.
[Homer looks puzzled.]
Shopkeeper: That's bad.
Homer: Can I go now?

Re:Hard to buy

[frodo from middle ea]

Yeah right, you just keep telling yourself that.

General Motors says: "Don't buy Ford"

[Anonymous Coward]

Duh.

Re:I'm confused!

[sacrilicious]

Hammock vendor: I must warn you though, this is no ordinary hammock. It is a scintillating mix of comfort and (grows menacing) EVIL!

Homer: You had me at comfort.

Re:Nobody seems to have pointed this out yet...

[AVee]

So the interesting question is wheter fireing a missile containing a GPL'ed binary counts as distibution...

Re:Nobody seems to have pointed this out yet...

[mark-t]

I would say not, since who you are distributing it to will not be in any position to demand to see the source code once the transaction has been completed.

Re:Grammar Fairy sez: It's a good day to learn!

[muffel]

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's. It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.

-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

GPL Software in Missiles

[solprovider]

That the receiver may not want it is no reason to violate the GPL. If you distribute the binary code, you must distribute the source code.

Just include the source code in the "package".

Backed by Microsoft

[Peartree]

"...industry body backed by Microsoft..."

Of course they would tell them not to buy open-source/GPL software, or any other software for that matter, because they aren't buying M$.

Re:Hard to buy

[TC (WC)]

Yeah, you've sure got to watch out for those competing governments stealing your software. It'd sure screw Britain over if China were to get their traffic light control software or something.