Opening up an open-source roadblock

AlexGr writes “In an opinion piece in CNET News, James V. DeLong – an attorney with Kamlet, Shepherd & Reichert – said that if the FSF succeeds in blocking the collaboration between Microsoft and Novell, the biggest losers will be software consumers. DeLong said that unlike the FSF, which is equated to religion and considers proprietary software immoral, Microsoft and Novell are the antithesis of religions as they are integrated into the world of commerce and day-to-day affairs. He explains that the deal between the two is dictated by a simple reality: Customers want interoperability of open-source and proprietary programs without being required to perform the integrations for themselves and they the freedom from concern about potential intellectual property problems. DeLong concludes: “It will be unfortunate if the FSF is allowed to use its control of the drafting pen in the revision of the GPL to override the interests of the other stakeholders. And if the stakeholders allow this, it will be interesting to see how they explain their acquiescence to their management, their shareholders and most of all, their customers.”