I’ll say this about Linus Torvalds … at least the guy has got some integrity. Even when I don’t agree with positions, it’s refreshing to see someone with so much technical (and business) influence who isn’t afraid to go against the grain, swim upstream, and occasionaly pee into the wind. Of course, those qualities are what enabled him to create Linux in the first place, but he still hasn’t sold out his ideals even though Linux has gone big and started turning green.

Case in point — the Free Software Foundation is working up a new version of the General Public License called GPL 3. The GPL is best known as the open source license that governs the use of Linux. However, Torvalds said this week that he would not support the licensing of the Linux kernel (which he still controls) with GPL3. Torvalds is particularly turned off by the Digital Rights Management provisions in the new version of the GPL. And I have to agree with him. While I do believe that something must be done to curb digital pirating, I also feel that the DRM methods that are developing right now are going too far and are taking too much control away from the user.

I tip my hat to Torvalds for being one of the few tech bigwigs to speak out against over-reaching DRM controls.