On Mon 29 Jun 2009 14:48, Richard Stallman pondered:
As Mike has stated - we work on many devices who's products would fall under the GPL 3's User Products category - who's manufactures have told us "No GPL3".Would you like to describe one such product?
Portable hand held medical devices - such as Glucometers. They fall into both categories. They are medical devices, who's "bad" software could cause a user to give them selves too much insulin (hypoglycemia -> pass out -> seizure -> death), or too little insulin (Hyperglycaemia -> stupor -> coma -> death). Yeah, death is over the top - as most diabetics understand their body well enough not recognise the signs much before the pass out stages - but for the person who isn't familiar with things - it is possible.
They are marketted, and purchased by end consumers (Amazon shows 115 results in their search), and I would think that would make them fall into the "User Products".
All the product types discussed so far are outside the category of User Products. The laws you cites also seem to apply to things which are not User Products.
I don't think I had any links to laws - only specifications.
Years ago - I helped develop a cloths dryer which needed to pass UL 1998 - since the cut off switch (open the door, the dryer stops spinning), was a GPIO on a 8-bit microcontroller...
White goods are as consumer/user products as you can get - all need to pass some sort of safety spec, when software failures can hurt people.
They have this right - the right to use the software - or the right to choose something else. They have indicated they will exercise this right - so far - I believe them.If a company seeks to restrict users like you and me, I strongly hope my software does not help them.
And I think that is great that you feel like that. You have every right to limit the use of the software you write and support - just like I have that same right not to feel the same way.
I feel that companies should have the right to choose how to use the software I develop, as long they give things back, and I can use it on _my_ hardware (which the GPL2 allows/encourages) - I don't really care what they do on their hardware. That is their business, not mine.
I hope that you can respect my choice - and not try to convince me or others that your choices are superior to mine.
-Robin