Kyle, If we release binaries under the GPL then we have to honour the license's requirements to make the source code to those binaries available, in the same way as anyone else does, which we do. If we didn't do that, we'd be failing to honour the license under which we'd distributed the software.
It's also the case that if even one of the binaries we distribute is GPL and it's distributed alongside other binaries then they must be GPL licensed too, even if the entire thing is owned by us. The fact that we own VNC simply means that we can release binaries under other licensing terms if we wish. It doesn't allow us to bundle GPL-licensed software with software under other licenses. Cheers, Wez @ RealVNC Ltd. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kyle McDonald > Sent: 16 May 2005 15:53 > To: Rex Dieter > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: src.rpm/specfile, GPL violation > > Rex Dieter wrote: > > > > > RealVNC is violating the GPL (unknowningly or not) by failing to > > provide the (preferred) source to the binary they distribute. > > > Given other conversations on here about GPL issues, I'd be > surprised if > there was really anything underhanded going on here. > > On top of that, it's trechnically impossible for Real-VNC to > violate the > GPL. They are the original Copyright holders of the work. They can > license and distribute only the files they want to under the > GPL. If you > don't get the file from them under the GPL then that file is not > licensed under the GPL. > > If they were modifying someone else's GPL work and the > *re*distributing > it, without a file the original author had included, then there'd be > something fishy. But they are the original author of VNC (at > least as I > understand it.) > > -Kyle > _______________________________________________ > VNC-List mailing list > [email protected] > To remove yourself from the list visit: > http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list _______________________________________________ VNC-List mailing list [email protected] To remove yourself from the list visit: http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list
