Re: software licensing
On Tue, Sep 01, 1998 at 11:15:52PM -0500, Rob Tillotson wrote:
> Indeed, you don't have to distribute your modifications. However, in
> this case, the code is being distributed, albeit inside a particular
> organization.
My understanding is that the GPL does not stop you from not distributing
your changes, or even charging money for them -- only that whoever
you give/sell the binaries to must get or be able to get for token cost
the source code, and that they in turn may distribute it how they see fit --
as long as the source remains.
So that is, for any version of program X I have, if X is under the GPL,
I am entitled to the source to X. If I am not able to get X (because
company C wants too much for it or doesn't want to give it to me at all),
then I am not entitled to the source. However, once I have X, one way or
the other, I am free to distribute X to anyone I see fit, as long as I
also distribute/make available the source.
Hamish
--
Hamish Moffatt, hamish@debian.org, hamish@rising.com.au, hmoffatt@mail.com
Latest Debian packages at ftp://ftp.rising.com.au/pub/hamish. PGP#EFA6B9D5
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