Someone wrote in [personal profile] mjg59 2012-01-31 05:43 am (UTC)

Re: You?

Google does not directly make any money off of GPL infringement. They make money from Android, however it gets used. Some companies who use Android violate the GPL. If Google did anything about that, they'd potentially scare off users of Android, and add to the general irrational fear of "you can't use Linux without getting sued" (which mostly comes from the various litigious patent holders, such as the current patent extortion against Android vendors). That doesn't align with Google's best interests, so they have no good reason to do it.

Red Hat, similarly, does not directly make any money off of GPL infringement. They make money from Red Hat's Linux distributions, however they get used. Companies who use Red Hat's Linux distributions, and more to the point Red Hat's extensive contributions to numerous parts of the Linux stack, do violate the GPL. If Red Hat did anything about that, they'd potentially scare off users of Red Hat's Linux distributions and of Linux in general, which would not align with Red Hat's best interests, so they have no good reason to do it.

Have I missed something here? I don't mean to suggest that either Google or Red Hat has done anything wrong here; they've both acted in their own best interests. I just don't see a meaningful difference here.

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