Microsoft denies that it has anything to do with GPLv3 or vice versa. Novell, however, is making it clear that it will be supporting SUSE Linux Enterprise Server in the future, including any components, such as future versions of Samba, that are licensed under GPLv3.
In a blog by Novells director of PR, Bruce Lowry, Lowry wrote, “Given the terms of GPLv3, we re-affirm Novells ability to include technologies licensed under GPLv2 or GPLv3 in SUSE Linux Enterprise, openSUSE, and other Novell offerings and to deliver these technologies to our customers. This is good news for our customers, who enjoy using the best engineered and most interoperable Linux platform for mission-critical computing. Novell welcomes and supports GPLv3, and intends to include code licensed under GPLv3 in its distribution.”
So far, so good, as for Novells partner Microsofts claims that “Microsoft has decided that the Novell support certificates that we distribute to customers will not entitle the recipient to receive from Novell, or any other party, any subscription for support and updates that includes the receipt of any code licensed under GPLv3” are so much hogwash.
Lowry continued: “Microsofts current position, taken unilaterally, is intended to eliminate any perceived ambiguity about the applicability of GPLv3 to Microsoft. Nonetheless and independent of Microsofts position, we would like to make clear our commitment to our customers that Novell will continue to distribute SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with its full set of functionality and features, including those components that are licensed under GPLv3.”
/zimages/3/28571.gifRead the full story on Linux-Watch.com: Unlike Microsoft, Novell Sticks with GPLv3