Ken,
> If it's GPL, why does E-Smith copyright everything? Redhat does the same
> thing.
Ahhh... there is a huge difference between *copyright*, which indicates
who owns or creates something, and *licensing* something for *distribution*.
Copyright is ownership, the GPL is terms of distribution.
For more information, look at the pages of the Free Software Foundation,
specifically the whole philosophy of "copyleft", which is what the GPL
is all about:
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/copyleft.html
Specifically, there are the paragraphs:
To copyleft a program, we first state that it is copyrighted; then we add
distribution terms, which are a legal instrument that gives everyone
the rights to use, modify, and redistribute the program's code or
any program derived from it but only if the distribution terms are
unchanged. Thus, the code and the freedoms become legally inseparable.
Proprietary software developers use copyright to take away the users'
freedom; we use copyright to guarantee their freedom. That's why we
reverse the name, changing ``copyright'' into ``copyleft.''
So the whole idea is that you copyright the code (that YOU create) first,
then license it under the GPL.
Also of interest to you may be the instructions for how to use the GPL
(which again specifically talk about copyright):
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl-howto.html
And the GPL FAQ:
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl-faq.html
specifically:
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl-faq.html#HowIGetCopyright
and:
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl-faq.html#DoesTheGPLAllowMoney
I hope this helps explain the issue a bit.
Regards,
Dan
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Dan York, Director of Training [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ph: +1-613-751-4401 Mobile: +1-613-263-4312 Fax: +1-613-564-7739
e-smith, inc. 150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1500, Ottawa,ON K2P 1P1 Canada
http://www.e-smith.com/ open source, open mind
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