[kwlug-disc] Wordpress themes must be GPL

[Johnny Ferguson]

I just read the debate between Chris (Thesis) and Matt (Wordpress), and 
I thought this illustrated rather well the caliber of understanding on 
each side

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Matt: Well, if in the WordPress community people started deciding that 
the GPL doesn’t apply that’s a very, very slippery slope. Not just for 
WordPress but for all of open source. Like you said, there hasn’t been a 
court case yet in the United States because every company, including big 
ones like Cisco, have backed down. If Chris wants to be the court case 
that proves the GPL, I am sure there are many people in the open source 
community that would love that opportunity.

Andrew: What’s your position? Do you want to do this? Are you thinking 
of doing it?

Matt: I wasn’t before. However, it sounds like Chris, like a business 
argument isn’t going to change his mind. It sounds like, you know, all 
the legal analysis from the biggest experts in the world isn’t going to 
change his mind. Chris has just decided that the license doesn’t apply 
to him and so he shouldn’t have to care about it. That’s breaking the law.

Chris: I mean, you know, when I was in college in Georgia apparently it 
was illegal, in the Georgia State Doctrine, it was illegal to get a 
blowjob in the State of Georgia. But that’s one of those laws that’s 
never enforced. That brings up a valid question. What kind of law is it 
if it is unenforceable?

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definitely a non-sequitur of the highest degree. I started out somewhat 
sympathetic towards the Thesis guy, but the Wordpress guy absolutely 
tears him a new one:

http://mixergy.com/chris-pearson-matt-mullenweg/

I hope Thesis maintains its attitude. Would be nice to see the legal 
precedent solidified.

-Johnny