From: David Ross <drossruby@...>
Date: 2004-08-06T09:25:14+09:00
Subject: Re: Amazing GUI toolkit with visual designer & Ruby Integration


> The terms of the LGPL does not allow software that
> are derivatives of 
> LGPL libraries to prohibit reverse engineering.
> 

One of the main reasons I don't use GPL/LGPL toolkits
anymore. I like my anti-debugging/disassembler code in
my applications. People are 1) blind and dont think
about this or 2) don't care for software piracy. One
of the better ways in getting piracy reports is making
"ET phone home" to servers :) 

> To me, if I cannot lawfully prohibit customers from
> reverse-engineering 
> my product in my license agreement or terms of sale,
> it is practically 
> the same as giving them my source code.  I don't
> mind giving away the 
> source code on my hobby projects but I cannot do so
> on commercial 
> products that I depend on to pay my family's rent
> and food.  With 
> programming jobs being shipped overseas and
> so-called "free trade" 
> agreements designed to provide *access to cheaper
> labor* (rather than 
> "opening overseas markets to USA" as advertised to
> the misinformed 
> public), we simply don't have the luxury to share as
> much as we'd like 
> under different circumstances.

Its like the LGPL welcomes program cracking. It is
very easy to do if you know assembly. A bit difficult
if there is a generator for a registration box though.
This point is very good. Software piracy is a big
issue. So.. /me *hugs* BSD/MIT/PD licensed libraries.


--David Ross


		
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