Unauthorized forks?

Story: Open source author pulls code after GPL abuseTotal Replies: 3
Author Content
eantoranz

Aug 28, 2012
12:17 PM EDT
Unauthorized forks involving GPL code? WTF is that? Doesn't he understand the license?
vagabondo

Aug 28, 2012
12:28 PM EDT
In the man's own words:

http://rosarior.github.com/mayan/news.html

"To all the people telling me to f****** learn to read and to RTFM the GPL: I have read the GPL, this is not my first project being released as Free software, as Open Source software or under the GPL (Descartes BI, Django-replication, pdf-form-fill). It is also not the first project to enjoy widespread use and to be released as a commercial product by other people (Django-inventory), however in those instances the people doing the forks have complied with the GPL admirably providing source code for their changes, retaining all copyrights, notices and original license even when being released under a different name. That however is not the situation that is happening now. This is not "whinnying over some little program" (as it is being described commonly in the feedback I'm getting via email), the GPL is no less legal than a commercial license and must be followed and enforced equally, Mayan EDMS is not some "little program" currently sporting 26,000 lines of code. And just because a program is being released as Free Open Source software doesn't make it any less valuable than a commercial counterpart. Finally the entire source was not removed, only the development branch and the hotfix branch for the next version. Let me repeat that again, the entire source code was NOT removed only the TWO (2) latest unreleased branches. Lastly about the commercial competition issue: If I have no problems with people or business making money off Mayan EDMS, in fact I proud myself in creating commercial opportunities to others by advertising them, right here, in this very website, on the top menu, three tabs to the right. I hope this clarifies and overturns some of the misinformation being circulated, thank you."
eantoranz

Aug 28, 2012
1:22 PM EDT
Then it's not about "unauthorized forks". I could fork his project if I wanted to and I don't need his permission _at all_ as long as I respect the license. The problem here is that the license is not being respected which is a completely different matter.
CFWhitman

Aug 28, 2012
2:29 PM EDT
Since the GPL is authorization for a fork, creating a fork that violates the GPL (and isn't authorized in another way) is creating an unauthorized fork.

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