Re: Question about licensing

[Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@msu.edu>]

Bruce Perens <bruce@va.debian.org> writes:

   From: Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@msu.edu>
   > The Microsoft C library source is licensed for incorporation into
   > applications, but Microsoft OSes are not.

   Before you make your final assertion of this datum, can you provide us with
   a copy of the MS Windows license and the MSVC license? I'd bet that somewhere
   in there is a statement about your right to develop applications to execute
   on Microsoft Windows.

I don't see that anywhere in the original Windows 95 EULA as seen at
the beginning of a Windows 95 manual circa 24 Aug 1995.  If it's
changed in Windows 98, I'd like to know.

I'm afraid we can't have it both ways.  Either:

(1) Programs that use other programs are derivative.  In this case,
    (a) a program that uses dpkg is a derivative of dpkg, (b) a
    program that uses Windows 95-provided services is a Windows 95
    derivative, (c) a program that uses Linux is a Linux derivative,
    but Linus has disclaimed the copyright effects of such a
    derivation.

(2) Progarms that use other programs are not derivative.  In that
    case, none of the above are derivatives of their respective
    programs.

Is there an essential distinction among (a), (b), and (c) that I am
failing to make?  I don't see one, but I'd be glad to have someone
show me one.