Re: Question on GPL compliance
* Daniel Carrera <daniel.carrera@zmsl.com> [060119 17:15]:
> Suppose I have an online store that sells CDs of GPL software. People
> buy the CD and we ship it to them. One obvious way to comply with the
> GPL is to always send a second CD with the sources.
>
> Now, here's another idea. Suppose that when the user clicks "buy" they
> get a message: "would you like the sources CD? (extra $2)". If they
> click yes we package it too. If they click no we don't, and never again
> have to worry about the sources because we did give them a chance. And
> because the offer was for a CD, it is an "equivalent medium".
>
> In your non-lawyer opinion, is this an appropriate use of the GPL?
I doubt it, as you are selling the CDs and not the service of copying
CDs. (Though the latter case most propably only make the situation
more complex.). So the "is made by offering access to copy" does not
help as someone pointed out.
Without the extra $2 I could imagine something like
"Your buy includes an extra source CD. If you want to not get
it sent, we will recycle the CD by trying to sell it someone
else. Do you want us to throw it into the recycle bin on your
behalf instead of sending to you?".
Though the lawyers and judges would surely find some problem with
that, too.
Hochachtungsvoll,
Bernhard R. Link
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