Re: Fwd: Libranet (Debian derivate) requires $10 membership
Scripsit bruceperens@palm.net (Bruce J. Perens)
> >---> Quote from
> >http://www.libranet.com/download.html <---
> >This download is provided free to members of Libranet.
> >If, after installing Libranet, you decide to keep it, then you must
> >become a member.
> >[ ... ]
> >You become a part of the rapidly growing Libranet community. The cost
> >of membership is only us$10.00. A real bargain.
> >---> End quote <----
> >Isn't this a huge violation of the GPL ??
It seems to be. Their decision only to distribute to people who agree
to pay them $10 is, of course, perfectly fine, but they also say:
> You may freely download and use this distribution for any purpose with
> the exception that you may not sell or distribute this iso image
> without prior permission from Libra Computer Systems Ltd.
> The programs contained within the Libranet distribution have been
> released under several different licenses, mostly under the GPL. For
> more information read each program's respective documentation.
I understand here that the ISO image they distribute contains GPL'ed
programs. Thus if the image is a copyrightable work in itself (and I
think it is, as an aggregate work), it is a work based on those GPL'ed
program and hence (by GPL clause 2b) they must license their aggregate
copyright under GPL. Thus they must not restrict their customers from
selling or redistributing the image.
--
Henning Makholm "The compile-time type checker for this
language has proved to be a valuable filter which
traps a significant proportion of programming errors."
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