From an engineering perspective, numerous bits of useful Linux code have become available because of lawsuits that originated with Busybox, making it possible for people to hack on their own devices in ways they otherwise couldn't. Most usefully, GPL enforcement also gets vendors to release the exact version of the Linux kernel they use, including patches, configurations, and drivers.
I'd also point out that the WRT54G/WRT54GL remains the most wildly successful Linux router of all time, and it spawned numerous communities around it that have expanded to cover a large number of other devices; that never would have happened if Linksys hadn't been forced to release the GPLed source for the original WRT54G.
I agree with you that sometimes pursuing GPL enforcement has the effect of discouraging companies from using Linux (just as, for that matter, the use of the GPL rather than an all-permissive license discourages some companies from using Linux). I also agree strongly that all GPL enforcement requires a careful approach, and the case you mentioned of having a lawsuit filed against a company you were already actively working with towards compliance sounds astonishingly counterproductive. I don't think that screwup negates the need to continue to enforce the GPL; it just serves as a reminder that doing so requires more care.
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I'd also point out that the WRT54G/WRT54GL remains the most wildly successful Linux router of all time, and it spawned numerous communities around it that have expanded to cover a large number of other devices; that never would have happened if Linksys hadn't been forced to release the GPLed source for the original WRT54G.
I agree with you that sometimes pursuing GPL enforcement has the effect of discouraging companies from using Linux (just as, for that matter, the use of the GPL rather than an all-permissive license discourages some companies from using Linux). I also agree strongly that all GPL enforcement requires a careful approach, and the case you mentioned of having a lawsuit filed against a company you were already actively working with towards compliance sounds astonishingly counterproductive. I don't think that screwup negates the need to continue to enforce the GPL; it just serves as a reminder that doing so requires more care.