12.04.07
The GNU GPLv3 is Going Mainstream
The GNU GPLv3 is a software licence that makes Microsoft very angry and scared (by Microsoft’s own admission). The licence is being adopted rapidly and it puts under threat Microsoft’s plan to tame GNU/Linux through a reign of so-called ‘patent terrorism’. It’s a regime of fear that can do the most to suppress or at least slow down adoption of Free software.
Several weeks ago it was quietly revealed that Sun Microsystems would dip its feet in GPLv3 waters. For a company of this scale, that takes courage and deserves respect. Sun’s adoption of GPLv3 for a minor project has just been confirmed and made official.
Ops Center aims at managing all of this, and the first version will only do that when it is released on January 8th. More interestingly, the source code will be put out on December 10 for those into messing around with low level details. To shake things up a lot more, at least some of it, the Common Agent Container, will be licensed under the GPL3. Won’t that ruffle some feathers.
The press release is here by the way and there is another noteworthy company that has just gotten involved with GPLv3.
The name change coincides with a change of strategy and a new open source project, as the authentication software has been released under the GNU GPLv3 license as Likewise Open.
GPLv3 territories can no longer be considered scarcely explored. Many large companies have already welcomed the licence and ignored FUD which came from Microsoft, its several lobbying arms, hired ‘researchers’ (shills), and other proxies in disguise [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. In case you have not explored the source of funding of ‘GPL doubters’, now is the time. People get exposed to Microsoft-funded brainwash [1, 2, 3], which leads to unfounded prejudice and unnecessary lawsuits. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.