[colug-432] Open Source

[tom]

On 10/29/2013 08:30 AM, Scott McCarty wrote:
> Interesting article, it sounds like Goldman never released the source code to anybody. I am definitely not an attorney, but my lay curiosity wonders if this gets tricky if they ever try to split that business unit off or sell that code.  From the article, it sounds like nobody would really ever want it, but who knows.....
>
> Best Regards
> Scott M
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "tom" <thomas.w.cranston at gmail.com>
>> To: "Central OH Linux User Group - 432xx" <colug-432 at colug.net>
>> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 6:57:59 PM
>> Subject: Re: [colug-432] Open Source
>>
>> On 10/28/2013 05:23 PM, William Yang wrote:
>>> On 10/27/2013 06:43 PM, tom wrote:
>>>> Let's assume I take open source code after reading it's license
>>>> and
>>>> agreeing that any changes to it must be released as open source. I
>>>> then
>>>> modify the code, but then tack my own private license to it. How
>>>> would I
>>>> be punished for doing so?
>>>>
>>>> Tom
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> colug-432 mailing list
>>>> colug-432 at colug.net
>>>> http://lists.colug.net/mailman/listinfo/colug-432
>>>>
>>> First, you need an attorney to explain copyright law to you, not a
>>> technically oriented mailing list.
>>>
>>> Second...  the consequences are going to depend on who the
>>> copyright
>>> holder actually is, the detailed license terms involved and what
>>> kind of
>>> damage is being caused to the copyright holder by your infringement
>>> (in
>>> the view of the copyright holder and, in turn, in the view of the
>>> courts).
>>>
>>> Finally... copyright infringement can have fines paid to the
>>> government,
>>> damages paid to the copyright holder, and could include jail time
>>> or
>>> other sanctions by the courts.  It's not a great idea, and
>>> it's a really
>>> unwise to post on a public mailing list trying to figure this out.
>>> That's a discoverable record of your plan to willfully infringe,
>>> which
>>> as I understand it creates greater penalties.
>>>
>>> 	-Bill
>>> --
>>> William Yang
>>> wyang at gcfn.net
>> I am not planning to do so. Just a hypothetical question to determine
>> consequences. It is stated that Goldman Sachs did do so.
>>
>> See the Vanity Fair article about it:
>>
>> http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2013/09/michael-lewis-goldman-sachs-programmer
>>
>> Tom
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> colug-432 mailing list
>>> colug-432 at colug.net
>>> http://lists.colug.net/mailman/listinfo/colug-432
>>> .
>>>
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>>
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>
The story does not answer a lot of things. What open source under which 
license. Although the programmer may have had not bad intent, it does 
look like he broke the law by taking Goldman's portion of the code.

The law is what it is, not what it should be.

Never talk to the authorities w/o a lawyer present. Never allow them 
access to anything, your car, your home, your computer, device. State 
that you are not giving them your permission. Never attempt to 
physically stop them from doing so. Do not be rude or strident in your 
assertion, just state it in a business like manner.

Tom