Re: Copyright Question

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

"Christopher Priest" <chris@priestdata.com> writes:

> Why should anyone but the source be "required" to keep or distribute source
> code when it is freely available from Debian. The web was not
> available when

Debian may not be around forever.  Many embedded devlopers don't
publicize which distribution they derive from.

> the license was conceived. If I were a judge, and I looked at the intent of
> the license, I'd say the flavour and intent is served by proper
> attribution,

The license -- the GPL -- very specifically says that the source must
be included with the software.  It goes to some effort to detail what
notice is an acceptable alternative, and it involves three-year guarantees.

> and reasonable access to the source as intended, especially if it was by
> reference to the source web site.and I'd note that this user was not tring
> to assume ownership.
>
> Law is about damages, not about forcing people to do what you want..

No, in the case of copyright law it is explicitly about granted permissions.

-Brian

-- 
Brian Sniffen                                       bts@alum.mit.edu