On Mon, 10 Mar 2003, Anthony Towns wrote: > If you want the possible term defined more precisely, consider > something more like: > > "If you have distributed a modified version of The Work, then > if you receive a request by the Primary Copyright Holder > (named above), you must provide a copy of your modifications > as at the time you receive the request, at cost, to the > Primary Copyright Holder." Unfortunatly, this clause has the "distribution" versus "deployment" problem, and thus fails to close the ASP loophole. Furthermore, the clause doesn't distinguish between "your modifications" and the "modified version" you are distributing. This could allow the following interpretation: I distribute modification set A which I didn't even develop. I generate modification set B which I've merged with proprietary code, or code under NDA, or any other form of non-freely distributable code. The Primary Copyright Holder requires from me modification set B in accordance with the license, even though I haven't distributed that set. Assuming this problem was cleared up, there is still yet another issue: I'm an anarchist dissident (who runs RaiseTheFist), and for reasons known only to me, I have altered a web based forum to encode messages to other dissidents in the source code of the forum software itself. The PCH knows that I am using his software, and requests the modifications for cost. Now the PCH can recover all of the messages I've been sending to other dissidents. It seems to me that compulsory provision of source code to people to whom the modified version has not been distributed, or are not in the distribution path, is wrought with danger. Don't get me wrong, I dislike the idea of seeing GPLed code utilized in ASP where there is little to no contribution of modifications to the community, but perhaps we should concentrate on using social pressure against those who would avoid distributing source versus legal pressure? Don Armstrong -- N: It's a ploy. B: What? N: This drug money funds terror, it's a ploy. B: Ploy? N: A manipulation. I mean why should I believe that?" B: Because it's a fact." N: Fact?" B: F, A, C, T... fact" N: So you're saying that I should believe it because it's true. That's your argument? B: It IS true. -- "Ploy" http://www.mediacampaign.org/multimedia/Ploy.MPG http://www.donarmstrong.com http://www.anylevel.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu
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