Re: Bug#265352: grub: Debian splash images for Grub

[Brian Thomas Sniffen <bts@alum.mit.edu>]

Josh Triplett <josh.trip@verizon.net> writes:

>> On the other hand, if you take the source code to GCC and format it
>> into the shape of a Coca Cola trademark, then you can't use it for
>> selling soft drinks. Does this mean that GCC is not free?
>
> No, no more than the fact that you can't modify the source to GCC to
> contain the source to Visual C++ (even independently of the fact that
> GCC is copyleft; I'm referring to the fact that you can't distribute the
> source of Visual C++).

Sure I can.  If I happen to independently reimplement Visual C++, then
I own the copyright on that.  Microsoft does not.

> This does not apply, of course, to the one kind of requirement that
> DFSG4 allows: requiring that derived works carry a different name.

But trademarks are names.  That's all they are -- not necessarily in
roman characters or pronounceable, but names nonetheless.

-Brian

-- 
Brian Sniffen                                       bts@alum.mit.edu