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Re: A possible approach in 'solving' the FDL problem



Josselin Mouette said:
> Le mer 13/08/2003 à 14:20, Sergey Spiridonov a écrit :
>> Yes, encrypted system will be a problem if I will try to sell
>> encrypted  FDL books, so that one can read, but not copy or modify his
>> copy.
>
> That was probably the intention, but the wording makes it unclear.
>
> However, everything depends on how the *software* author (not the
> license author) reads it. Without explicit clarification from the
> author of the FDL'ed stuff, the licensing is non-free.

Even with explicit clarification from the author, a license that depends on
the "free" interpretation by the author fails the DFSG "Tentacles of Evil"
test.
If the author/copyright holder can change his interpretation (without
changing the license or the work licensed) and make the work non-free, then
the work is not free.

It's the difference between permission to "modify or distribute" and
permission to "distribute, modify, and/or distribute modified works".

--Joe




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