Re: Results for Debian's Position on the GFDL

[Adam McKenna <adam@flounder.net>]

On Sun, Mar 19, 2006 at 01:36:14AM -0500, Anthony DeRobertis wrote:
> Adam McKenna wrote:
> >But you can only use one copy at a time.  You could make a good argument 
> >that
> >the copies not in use are backup copies.  (Remember, we're talking about
> >documents here.)
> >  
> Well, US copyright law at least gives the right to make a backup copy so 
> long as "such new copy or adaptation is for archival purposes only." 
> Clearly, if you're regularly using it, its no longer for archival 
> purposes only.

That would need to be decided by a court.  Obviously if you can only use one
copy at a time, and your backup strategy involves keeping multiple copies on
multiple machines, someone would have to *prove* that you were using more
than one copy at a time, and convice the cort that your backup strategy does
not comply with the license.

I really don't see either thing happening in the case of a GFDL'd document.
IOW, if it's a restriction at all, it's unenforcable.

--Adam

-- 
Adam McKenna  <adam@debian.org>  <adam@flounder.net>