Ruining business?
only a handful of highly visible companies care, and the potential community of programmers available from the ones to whom that is not an issue can outproduce the big players that you can readily think of.
And the smaller companies that might have optimized/customised GPLed software will shrink signifigantly. GPLed software may make it into the workplace, but the availabilty of the source will be almost useless for (non-software house) small businesses. It might as well be shrinkwrap.
The potential the GPL has for revitalising IT is crippled by this thing, Ben. Development efforts by non-software houses, customising software for thier needs, will NOT be done. They will just use the software in the same way that they would shrinkwrapped stuff - as provided.
As for your complaints about this ruining business, get a clue as to the history. Back when the GPL first came out, everyone said that no business would use it. They made arguments that were exactly analogous to your current argument. Remember, in the late 80s, shrinkwrap had a similar position to webservices today.
And, back then, I was able to counter the FUD that smply modifying the code and using it did NOT require the release of code. It's no longer FUD under GPL3, though.
Finally, I never said it was anti-capitalistic, or communistic, or any of the straw-words you've thrown out here. It IS targeted against business use of the source code, though. Business may use the code, but customising it for business use? Why bother? A big feature. Gone.