McAfee, a company known for creating an anti-virus program for Windows, has seriously mis-handled an attempt to complain about the GPL in their annual report. They write:

“To the extent that we use ‘open source’ software, we face risks […] Use of GPL software could subject certain portions of our proprietary software to the GPL requirements, which may have adverse effects on our sales of the products incorporating any such software.”

So first, McAfee admits that they use and distribute open source software but violate the GPL by not re-distributing their changes. It isn’t often that companies use their annual report to expose themselves to legal liability. McAfee’s misunderstanding about what the GPL is and how it can/cannot be used is baffling — don’t they have lawyers over there?