Re: Knoppix and GPL

[Walter Landry <wlandry@ucsd.edu>]

Klaus Knopper <legal@knopper.net> wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 28, 2003 at 03:56:49PM +0200, Peter Palfrader wrote:
> > > > > > >  date of this CD-Rom."
> > > > > >    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Is this good enough?  Shouldn't it be date of distribution?
> > > > > 
> > > > > So, where can I get the sources of emacs version 1.0?
> > > > 
> > > > Who did you get the binaries from, when and under 3a, 3b or 3c?
> > > 
> > > Sorry, apparently my point was not clear.
> > > 
> > > Short version: Knoppix build date == Knoppix distribution date
> > 
> > Ah.
> > 
> > > Long version: You have no control over who distributes your software at
> > > which time. If someone decides, for whatever reason, to withhold your
> > > software fr 20 years, and then distributes a binary version of your
> > > software with your own written offer, the "3 years" limitation above
> > > become pointless. Therefore, the 3 years can only be meant as 3 years
> > > from the date when you, personally, make your software available, not
> > > when someone else distributes your software.
> > 
> > Correct.  If build-date is the last date when you distributed the
> > software yourself.
> 
> Technically, I'm not even actively distributing any software at any time.
> The mirrors are downloading and distributing it without any action
> initiated by me. Or magazines publish Knoppix, in some cases even
> without asking me.

Well, in that case you are distributing Knoppix.  Other people then
redistribute it.  For this, if you just make the source available from
the same place that the cdimage is available, then you're fine.  It
sounds like you already have everything set up to burn source CD's.
Why don't you just put up an image of that?  Then you wouldn't have to
bother with the 3-year warranty.

> But from my point of view, it's not useful to argue about literal
> interpretations of the GPL that would turn its meaning into the
> absurd. The written offer is present so that people who, for
> whatever reason, don't want to download sources from the official
> mirrors, can get them from me directly, at no higher costs than
> material, packaging and postage.

You can still keep the three-year offer as a courtesy.  The problem is
that you have to have available, three years from _now_, whatever is
on your website _now_.  That is a bit of a pain for you.

Regards,
Walter Landry
wlandry@ucsd.edu