Nicolas Kratz said: > Hmmm... Wouldn't distributing the modified Free Work, even if it's only > distributed to "B", require "A" to make available the modified Free > Work to third parties? Then one could start from there, and utterly > disregard "B"s obfuscated version. > > I'm pretty sure that is the case with the GPL, not sure about other > licenses.
With the GPL, no, but keeping the sources secret takes a bit of care. A gives the GPL binaries to B. At the same time, A asks B "would you like source with that?" (offering to hand B a CD with the source, but not making a written offer that B could pass on) Now, if B does not have the sources, B can not distribute the binaries under the terms of the GPL. In order to (re-)distribute the binaries, B would have had to take the source CD, and make it available to distributees. If this is the only way that A has distributed the binaries, then A has no obligation to distribute the sources to anyone ever again, even if B distributes the binaries all over the internet (and A can sue B if this happens, for violating the GPL) --Joe