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>>>>> "Dileep" == Dileep M Kumar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Dileep> On Fri, Jul 11, 2003 at 02:10:47PM +0530, Sridhar
Dileep> M.A. wrote:
>>>> IIRC, kernel patches by RH would be bound by GPL. Else, they
>>>> cannot sell it. If I have understood (some aspects of) GPL,
>>>> modifications can be kept in-house and not released/sold.
Dileep> The point is, no one is bound to publish the modified
Dileep> source on a public domain, because it is GPLed. GPL
Dileep> insist that one cannot sell the binary only version of the
Dileep> modified source. But that doesn't mean that the source
Dileep> should be available to *all*.
Well, actually the GPL enforces that you cannot distribute binaries
without also distributing or offering to distribute source, under the
GPL itself. Which means that if I make a custom patch (say) to the
Linux kernel and sell it to you, I must also give (or offer to give)
you the source of the patch. It does NOT mean that I am obliged to
give the source of the patch to everyone who comes and asks me for it.
However, once you have the patch source you can freely redistribute it
to others, put it up on your web site, give it away on CD, etc, since
the patch is covered by the GPL.
So the GPL does not force me to make my source available to all and
sundry. OTOH, it doesn't permit me to restrict others from
redistributing my source once they have got hold of it.
Legal/Ethical question: what if someone breaks into my computer and
downloads some GPL code which I did not want to release? Would that
person be legally entitled to redistribute that code? Note, I'm not
asking about the legality of breaking into my computer and stealing
the code, which is a different story altogether.
Dileep> I hope you get the point. Free software is not Free Lunch.
No, but free software menus and recipes can be legally made into free
lunches too.
Regards,
- -- Raju
- --
Raj Mathur [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://kandalaya.org/
GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F
It is the mind that moves
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