Re: GNU License and Computer Break Ins
On Fri, May 19, 2000 at 03:27:34PM -0500, Paul Serice wrote:
> I'm trying to understand this GPL thing to see if I can stay a Debian
> developer in good conscience.
...
> Then I wake up one day to learn that GPL isn't what I thought it
> was. Well, its social reach extended further than I thought it did.
> It seems to be about making sure that the community immediately
> has access to the source code to the exclusion of almost any other
> consideration.
First, you really ought to learn to think clearly.
You've assigned the wrong purpose to the GPL. For example: people can
play with their own private copies of GPLed software without distributing
any of those copies.
However, the GPL tries to make sure that -- once copies of GPLed software
are distributed -- the recipients of the software have as many rights as
any other recipients of any other versions of that software. [That means
no peculiar rules about how recipient c has to follow special procedures
when modifying the version of the software received from recipient f,
for instance.]
If your conscience can't deal with that, fine.
But please stop with all this angst about stuff you've made up.
* * * * *
Earlier, you asked why Debian didn't issue a statement of protest
against RMS. For breaking the law.
If you still hold that point of view, I don't see you presenting the
relevant information, to back it up. If you don't hold that point of
view, I don't see you apologizing.
[Did I mention that I used to work with a guy whose hobby was to help
other people make copies of his personal music collection? Did I
mention that the music was copyrighted in a fashion such that this was
explicitly legal? Do you want to accuse him of committing crimes, too?]
--
Raul
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