How come GPL code becomes un-GPL and then disappears

[Jerry McBride]

On Sunday 24 May 2009 07:25:28 pm GMAIL - James McDonald wrote:
> A long while ago a company named Postpath developed an Exchange drop-in
> replacement using a host of OSS. Postpath was then purchased by Cisco
> for a squintillion dollars.
>
> If the purpose of the GPL is to keep code open and free. How is it that
> the code doesn't appear to be available in the public domain?
>
> I noted the same thing about an application that was made as an
> interface to my ISP's SMS gateway. It was released via GPL which was
> then made closed source and any links to the original code disappeared.
> So a timeout period seems to apply get it while it's hot because even if
> it's GPL'd now we will close it off later.
>
> I appreciate that you could write a non-GPL module that then called GPL
> code and keep that code closed. But when the non-GPL code embeds so
> deeply into and changes the GPL code where is the line for maintaining
> GPL compliance (passing the mods on).
>
> Am I missing the point of the GPL?
>

Are you missing the point? Maybe. Since this is GPL, all you need do is grab a 
copy of the last GPL'ed cod and FORK IT. It'll then be survivable... If it 
hasn't been done allready, then maybe no one is interested.

My 2 cents worth...


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