Thanks for the post, I was beginning to feel like a clerk at a
virtual "GPL information desk".
Justin
Quoting Thomas Reilly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]):
> I've tried to avoid this off topic thread but the misinformation is
> killing me:
>
> Brahm van Niekerk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>
> > I think much of the misunderstandings here stem from misconceptions about
> > the terms of the GNU license.
>
> Correct.
>
> > 3. What you may NOT do is take Linux Kernel code, put another shell around
> > it and sell it as "Ports Operating System"
>
> Incorrect. I can do whatever I want with the linux kernel (including
> selling it). I just have to follow the GPL and make the source code
> to any changes/enhancements available for free. I could come out with
> a Linux distribution tomorrow and sell it as the "Ports Operating
> System" and it would be perfectly legal if all the source was freely
> available as required by the GPL (note that I would be required to
> extend the rights of the GPL to anyone who bought my distribution
> too). This is exactly what RedHat, SuSE, and Caldera do to make
> money.
>
> > 2. You may NOT put some additional wrapper around WebMacro and ***sell***
> > it calling it your own. For this you must share some of your profits with
> > Justin Wells. Reasonable enough, since he wrote it in the first place.
>
> Also not correct. I could package webmacro into a nice package and
> sell it all day long if I wanted to, as long as I made the source
> freely available with the same license that I found it with. I
> wouldn't owe one penny of that money to the WebMacro author. People
> would be stupid for buying it from me instead of freely downloading it
> but the GPL doesn't stop me from doing it.
>
> > The sole purpose of Justin licensing it under GNU, is so that somebody
> > doesn't steal his code, change it slightly and sell it as his own.
>
> If this really is Justin's purpose then he is using the wrong license.
> Your right I can't sell it as my own, I have to leave copyright
> ownership with Justin but that doesn't mean I can't change it slightly
> and sell it (note that the source to my changes must be freely
> available).
>
> If he wants to make money selling webmacro it is probably to people
> who want to redistribute the sucker to their customers without having
> to comply with the GPL (kinda like an OEM arrangement). Thus they can
> sell the product without making the source code to the original
> product or derivative works available (that's what the GPL protects
> against). An real example of a business that does this is
> Transvirtual. Companies can take Transvirtual's Kaffe VM and buy an
> non-GPL license, tweak the VM for their application and sell it in
> their products without having to worry about the GPL requirements.
>
> For these reason the GPL is often called infectious or viral as it
> levels the playing field and forces everybody to make all the source
> code available. The fact that the copyright owner can change the
> license like Justin and Transvirtual do is why in order for a piece of
> GPL'd code to become an official part of the GNU project the copyright
> ownership must be signed over to the FSF (who, of course, will never
> make it available under a different license).
>
> Hope this helps (and kills this thread).
>
> --
> Tom Reilly
> Live Software, Inc
> http://www.livesoftware.com
>
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