[ILUG] GPL and non-disclosure agreements

[Niall]

On Wed, May 17, 2000 at 10:47:53AM +0100, Noel Carroll wrote:

> > Also, can anyone think of a good analogy to the contributing to open 
> > source software ie another example where a company in effect gives 
> > away its expertise?
> > 
> Only thing I can think of is legal firms doing pro bono cases where they
> take on something in the public interest and don't charge the client.  Not
> too sure how the nitty gritty of this works though.

Pro-bono work is not like open source (except that it is - see later) - it's
simply a question of lawyers giving their time in a cause which they feel is
for the public good (pro bono publico). But it has been previously pointed
out that all legal argument is open source, in that once a lawyer has argued
a certain case in a certain way in a certain jurisdiction, and won his case,
other lawyers in subsequent cases in that jurisdiction can refer to those
arguments. Presumably, if the line of argument did not win the case, an
opposing lawyer could also point this out subsequently.


Regards,


Niall  O Broin