[Asterisk-Users] RE: Business Edition

[Kevin Walsh]

> On Fri, 2005-07-22 at 18:18 +0100, Kevin Walsh wrote:
> > Adam Goryachev [mailinglists at websitemanagers.com.au] wrote:
> > > On Fri, 2005-07-22 at 04:15 +0100, Kevin Walsh wrote:
> > > > For this reason, I believe that if a fork were
> > > > ever necessary, it would struggle to beat a distinct path away from
> > > > the Asterisk Binary Edition
> > > >
> > > Correct, until the point where there is MORE features being added to
> > > the forked version of asterisk than the digium version of asterisk.
> > >
> > That can't happen, because the ABE could, and probably would, absorb
> > all of the advances in the fork, while forging ahead with the
> > original.
> >
> Since the fork would be GPL only, if ABE 'absorbed' the new features,
> then it would 'become' GPL, and therefore would need to be released as
> GPL, and hence would no longer by ABE :) So, that can't happen. Any other
> ideas? 
>
You're forgetting about the "disclaimer" documents.  Anyone who signed
the perpetual agreement and made changes and/or enhancements to the
Asterisk code (a fork would still be using Asterisk code) would firstly
be obliged to inform "the owner", and would secondly have a prior
agreement with "the owner" to allow them to use and close the code.
That would neatly bypass the GPL and allow the new code to be folded
into the Asterisk Binary Edition.

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