Re: Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
Henning Makholm [EMAIL PROTECTED] : Isn't this a huge violation of the GPL ?? It seems to be. Their decision only to distribute to people who agree to pay them $10 is, of course, perfectly fine, but they also say: You may freely download and use this distribution for any purpose with the exception that you may not sell or distribute this iso image without prior permission from Libra Computer Systems Ltd. The programs contained within the Libranet distribution have been released under several different licenses, mostly under the GPL. For more information read each program's respective documentation. I understand here that the ISO image they distribute contains GPL'ed programs. Thus if the image is a copyrightable work in itself (and I think it is, as an aggregate work), it is a work based on those GPL'ed program and hence (by GPL clause 2b) they must license their aggregate copyright under GPL. Thus they must not restrict their customers from selling or redistributing the image. See this paragraph in the GPL: In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this License. Putting GPL and non-GPL code in the same iso image looks to me like an example of mere aggregation, so my guess is that even if Libranet's current wording violates the GPL, they could achieve the same effect by adopting a different wording: instead of saying that The Libranet iso image is copyright 2000 Libra Computer Systems Ltd and that they are not giving permission to do XYZ, they could instead say that the Libranet iso image contains material that is copyright 2000 Libra Computer Systems Ltd and that they are not giving permission to do XYZ. However, this change may be unnecessary. It's highly probably that Libranet would have a valid copyright over the iso image even if the image contained only GPL programs, as the selection and arrangement could itself constitute a work to which copyright is applicable. However, I'm not a lawyer. By the way, I think it would be bad for Debian if what Libranet is doing were to turn out to be illegal. Edmund
Re: Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Edmund GRIMLEY EVANS wrote: You may freely download and use this distribution for any purpose with the exception that you may not sell or distribute this iso image without prior permission from Libra Computer Systems Ltd. ... However, this change may be unnecessary. It's highly probably that Libranet would have a valid copyright over the iso image even if the It looks to me like Libranet is trying to confuse users and fool them into thinking that the software itself is property of Libranet. While Libranet is not claiming rights over the software itself (just the ISO image, which they do have rights to), 90% of the people that use the software won't realize this. For example, you could copy all the files on the CD into a .tar file and distribute that, but few people will realize it. All their license really prohibits is verbatim copying of the CD-ROM. I don't think the GPL really addresses the idea of licensing of a collection of software as a whole. It seems to have been designed with the premise that no matter how it was distributed, the actual GPL-licensed software would always be free. By the way, I think it would be bad for Debian if what Libranet is doing were to turn out to be illegal. Why?
Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
-- Forwarded Message -- Hi Bruce, Just stumbled upon this : --- Quote from http://www.libranet.com/do wnload.html --- This download is provided free to members of Libranet. If, after installing Libranet, you decide to keep it, then you must become a member. [ ... ] You become a part of the rapidly growing Libranet community. The cost of membership is only us$10.00. A real bargain. --- End quote Isn't this a huge violation of the GPL ?? -- Best regards, David Jack Olrik [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://david.olrik.dk GnuPG key C290 0A4A 0CCC CBA8 2B37 E18D 01D2 F6EF 2E61 9894 [ GNU Software: 'The source will be with you ... Always!' ]
Re: Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
Bruce J. Perens wrote: --- Quote from http://www.libranet.com/download.html --- If, after installing Libranet, you decide to keep it, then you must become a member. [ ... ] You become a part of the rapidly growing Libranet community. The cost of membership is only us$10.00. Worse than that. The `collection' as an ISO image cannot be sold or redistributed. Take a stack of GPLed programs, combine them with one of their own non-GPLed programs and make the whole non-redistributable? I'd be inclined to look through it for some of my code and demand that they remove it from their ISO image. Copyright Information The Libranet iso image is copyright 2000 Libra Computer Systems Ltd. The programs contained within the Libranet distribution are copyright of their respective owners. You may freely download and use this distribution for any purpose with the exception that you may not sell or distribute this iso image without prior permission from Libra Computer Systems Ltd. The programs contained within the Libranet distribution have been released under several different licenses, mostly under the GPL. For more information read each program's respective documentation. Peter
Re: Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
Scripsit [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Bruce J. Perens) --- Quote from http://www.libranet.com/download.html --- This download is provided free to members of Libranet. If, after installing Libranet, you decide to keep it, then you must become a member. [ ... ] You become a part of the rapidly growing Libranet community. The cost of membership is only us$10.00. A real bargain. --- End quote Isn't this a huge violation of the GPL ?? It seems to be. Their decision only to distribute to people who agree to pay them $10 is, of course, perfectly fine, but they also say: You may freely download and use this distribution for any purpose with the exception that you may not sell or distribute this iso image without prior permission from Libra Computer Systems Ltd. The programs contained within the Libranet distribution have been released under several different licenses, mostly under the GPL. For more information read each program's respective documentation. I understand here that the ISO image they distribute contains GPL'ed programs. Thus if the image is a copyrightable work in itself (and I think it is, as an aggregate work), it is a work based on those GPL'ed program and hence (by GPL clause 2b) they must license their aggregate copyright under GPL. Thus they must not restrict their customers from selling or redistributing the image. -- Henning Makholm The compile-time type checker for this language has proved to be a valuable filter which traps a significant proportion of programming errors.
