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Re: DRAFT: debian-legal summary of the QPL



Mahesh T. Pai wrote:
>Matthew Garrett said on Mon, Jul 12, 2004 at 11:02:34AM +0100,:
> > Nathaneal Nerode wrote:
> > >If the user is really doing stuff privately -- just for himself! -- and
> > >happens to talk about it, he certainly shouldn't be forced to distribute it
> > >before he's ready!  This is no issue at all.
> > Am I reading a different license here? The copy of the QPL at
> > http://www.trolltech.com/licenses/qpl.html says:

<snip>

>Something can be distributed  without making the whole thing available
>to the public.

Yes. I know. But read the context - Nathaneal said "If the user is
really doing stuff privately -- just for himself! -- and happens to talk
about it, he certainly shouldn't be forced to distribute it before he's
ready! This is no issue at all.". The QPL does not oblige you to do
anything if "the user is really doing stuff privately". It *only* comes
into play when the user wants to distribute.


>GPL  does not  force you  to  give the  modifications to  the big  bad
>world. QPL does not either. Some licenses do.
>
>QPL  just  insists that  the  copyright  holder  can insist  that  the
>modifier/ person who created a dependent work provide sources of _his_
>work.  Even  if  the  new   work  is  only  depending  on  the  QPL'ed
>software. It need not be even a derivative.

Yes, it's different to the GPL. When do its requirements cause actual
problems? 

-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59-chiark.mail.debian.legal@srcf.ucam.org



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