Nokia needs to get with the program
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| r_a_trip Jun 20, 2008 4:13 AM EDT |
"We want to educate open source developers. There are certain business rules [developers] need to obey, such as DRM, IPR [intellectual property rights], SIM locks, and subsidized business models," Jaaksi told attendees of the Handsets World conference in Berlin. "As an industry, we plan to use open source technologies, but we are not yet ready to play by the rules." In other words they (Nokia) are posturing dinosaurs who hope that a little "Huffing and Puffing" will have already educated people (FOSS users and developers) shaking in their boots for Big Bad Nokia (TM). Too bad that Nokia seems to need FOSS and not the other way around. Nokia can do what they want within the limits of the FOSS licenses of the software they use. Even bolt on unwanted technology as DRM if this doesn't violate the licenses, but they can't dictate what free people can and will do with FOSS software. They better get with the program soon. Otherwise Big Bad Nokia (TM) could face serious decline. The Mobile Carrier market is under scrutiny from the European Commission and voices have been heard saying that mobile phone contracts need to be easier to cancel in a shorter period of time. In a few years it might be that the mobile market truly is a service market, instead of a lure and lock in affair. Google's Android has a chance to accelerate that. On top of that, Nokia doesn't have a stick to hit us with. We can always fork Qt Free Edition under the GPLv2 without permission from Nokia, if (when?) they start to release major versions which hamper FOSS. If they try to get funny with withholding Qt Free Edition altogether, the Trolltech/Free Qt Foundation Agreement (poison pill) will kick in and Nokia will have an on par BSD licensed "competitor" on their hands. |
| hughesjr Jun 20, 2008 5:42 AM EDT |
so ... then they can use Windows CE for that and pay for it |
| jdixon Jun 20, 2008 6:39 AM EDT |
> "We want to educate open source developers. There are certain business rules [developers] need to obey, such as DRM, IPR [intellectual property rights], SIM locks, and subsidized business models," If you want a developer to do what you want, there's a simple way to accomplish that. Pay the person to do it for you. Open source developers are under no obligation to do anything Nokia wants, have no real incentive to do so, and have very good reasons for not doing things like DRM and SIM locks. If Nokia wants those technologies on Linux, they'll have to pay someone to develop them. > ...they can use Windows CE for that and pay for it Yep. Nokia may not like to "play by the rules", but whether they like it or not is beside the point. They can either abide by the license or they can use something else. Their choice, but refusing to "play by the rules" isn't an option. |
| tuxchick Jun 20, 2008 7:12 AM EDT |
Some folks have no idea how idiotic they sound, do they :) |
| Bob_Robertson Jun 20, 2008 9:15 AM EDT |
> Some folks have no idea how idiotic they sound, do they Quick response 1) Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Quick response 2) Did you ever read the words of the Yes song _Roundabout_? Quick response 3) Alan Funt, where are you? |
| rgviza Jun 20, 2008 12:51 PM EDT |
@hughesjr Well they did try Windows CE, but they discovered that proprietary software developers won't play by their rules either, because their rules we're written by Namllats Drahcir (The bizarro version of Richard Stallman, from the opposite dimension) and software they develop is only compatible with the 3v LPG license. |
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