Steven D'Aprano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I simply don't think that having to run some variation on > > patch -i patchfile.patch > > is a requirement so onerous that it makes the gnuplot licence > non-free. Perhaps I'm just more tolerant of eccentricities than you > :)
The distinction here is that this command must be run by *every* recipient of a modified work. A work where one must do that is more onerous for *each* recipient than one where it's already been patched for the recipient. Thus there is value, and no loss of freedom, in you as a redistributor doing that work *once* and then redistributing the work intact to any recipient. Your freedom to do this useful, harmless action is restricted artificially by copyright, and is not granted by the license. So, recipients of the 'gnuplot' code are artificially restricted from performing an action useful to society that does no harm. -- \ “The Bermuda Triangle got tired of warm weather. It moved to | `\ Alaska. Now Santa Claus is missing.” —Steven Wright | _o__) | Ben Finney -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list