On May 28, 1:39 pm, Alexander Terekhov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dave Crossland wrote: > > [...] > > > The works that are subject to copyright must be licensed "as a whole" > > under the GPL. The works that are public domain are not subject to > > copyright. Hence it is absolutely trivial to have a derivative work > > based on preexisting public domain material copyright licensed under > > the GPL. > > Given: D is a derivative work "as a whole" employing public domain > expression P. > > The copyright on D (i.e. stuff that you can copyright license) covers > only D - P = C expression. "As a whole" expression is C + P = D. To > repeat: stuff that can be copyright licensed is only C and not P. Hence > (now try concentrate your brain power) > > C < D > > which means that D can not be licensed "as a whole" under the GPL. > > That's impossible because C < D.
The copyright on D covers only D - P = C expression, so D can be licensed "as a whole" under the GPL but the the GPL only applies to C, you can re-distribute P under any terms. Supposing your are right, and GPL can't include PD works: What free software programs in use today are GPL and include public domain works? _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
