"Jordi Gutierrez Hermoso" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I realise it probably doesn't make much of a difference if the GPL > is in a clickthrough, since as I understand it, you don't need to > agree to the GPL to use the software, and clickthrough agreements > are probably almost always impossible to enforce. So, just out of > academic curiousity, what's the status of putting the GPL in such a > clickthrough agreement? Does it make any difference or not?
The GPL explicitly permits use of the work by any recipient; this is granted even in jurisdictions that sadly have copyright law that restricts the act of using copyrighted works. So, regardless of whether the person agrees to the license, they have the freedom to use the work. The problem comes when the installer refuses to install the work without receiving acceptance of the GPL; this goes against what the license says (i.e. that even a person who says "no" to such a question has the right to install and use the work. Having received such a work, I suppose the license grants permission to use the work *despite* what the installer does; so, installing the software "manually" by extracting it in a way that avoids such a question would be explicitly granted. That's a pointless hurdle to put before the user, though; ideally the meaningless "Accept the license" step should be removed. -- \ "Beware of and eschew pompous prolixity." -- Charles A. | `\ Beardsley | _o__) | Ben Finney -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
