Re: FSF has published GNU FDL version 1.2

[Walter Landry <wlandry@ucsd.edu>]

Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 27, 2002 at 12:27:16PM -0800, Walter Landry wrote:
> > What can't be avoided is the clause in Section 2
> > 
> >   You may not use technical measures to obstruct or control the
> >   reading or further copying of the copies you make or distribute.
> > 
> > I could easily imagine a situation where an organization wants to make
> > it difficult to print things out, so that people don't waste paper.
> > Libraries, in particular, may want to discourage people from printing
> > out the GNU Emacs manual.  The GFDL doesn't allow this, which counts
> > as a use restriction.  The license is non-free.
> 
> I do not see how this is a use restriction. It explicitly mentions "the
> copies you make or distribute". If you *receive* a copy and do not copy
> it further, this clause does not limit you in any way.
> 
> To me, it's clearly a restriction on distribution: you must allow the
> receiver of a copy to read and copy it as they wish.
> 
> Also, if libraries want to discourage people from printing out the GNU
> Emacs manual, they can and probably will simply put up a sign saying
> "please don't print out large documents unnecessarily, as it wastes
> paper". That's not a technical measure.

Let's say that the library has two things you can get, the texinfo
source files and a pdf generated from them.  People are unlikely to
print out the texinfo files, so they would naturally try to print out
the pdf.  So the library sets the "do not print" flag on the pdf,
making it unlikely that anyone will print out the Emacs manual.

The library is not distributing copies of the manual, but they are
using "technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or
further copying of the copies" that they made.  This is a completely
reasonable _use_ that is not allowed by the GFDL.

Regards,
Walter Landry
wlandry@ucsd.edu