Re: webmin license

[Brian Behlendorf <brian@collab.net>]

On 15 Dec 1999, Henning Makholm wrote:
> Brian Behlendorf <brian@apache.org> writes:
> > On Mon, 13 Dec 1999, Marc van Leeuwen wrote:
> 
> > >    a) REMIND may not be used under Microsoft Windows (3.0, 3.1, 95
> > >       or NT) or any future version of Windows.  Such use constitutes
> > >       a violation of copyright.
> 
> > >    b) REMIND may not be used by Cadabra Design Libraries Inc. or its
> > >       directors, nor by any of Cadabra's subsidiaries or their directors.
> > >       Such use constitutes a violation of copyright.
> 
> > >    c) Except for situations (a) and (b), REMIND may be used and
> > >       distributed according to the terms of the GNU General Public
> > >       License, Version 2, which follows: [...]
> 
> > a) and b) contradict c).
> 
> No, because (c) explicitly states that (a) and (b) takes precedense
> over the terms of the GPL.

It doesn't matter that (c) says (a) and (b) take precedence - the GPL
itself says no other conditions may take precedence.  So either what is
distributed as the GPL is *not* the GPL, (nor should it be called a
"patched GPL", as it reverses a significant part of what the GPL stands
for) or the GPL takes precedence.  I'm sure Stallman would say the same
thing, with a bit more of a bite too.  This document is
self-contradictory.  I don't know what copyright or contract law says
about a license that self-contradicts.

Debian folks should be up in arms about this, I can't believe I'm the one
responding to this.  Or did everyone else already /dev/null this thread?

	Brian