Re: [PROPOSAL] Full text of GPL must be included
Brian Mays <brian@debian.org> wrote:
> > We distribute Debian in its entirety.
Brian Frederick Kimball <bfk@footbag.org> wrote:
> No you don't. :)
Well ... aside from occasional server down time, I think that we do
indeed distribute ALL of the Debian distribution. Have we left any
parts out?
> If a RedHat user runs wget
> http://http.us.debian.org/path/to/GPLed/deb, did Debian not distribute
> that file to the RedHat user?
You might as well argue that if you sell someone a CD full of software,
and that person copies only one file off of the CD, then you have sold
them only one file. That is not true. You have sold them the entire
CD.
Try doing that with a CD full of proprietary software (assuming that you
are not honoring the license agreement) and arguing with the lawyers
over what you sold that person.
> > Our packages, however, are designed to be used on our distribution,
> > and are distributed as such.
> The intended use of a package doesn't seem very relevant to the
> question of whether Debian is fullfulling the requirements of the GPL.
> The GPL does not wave its requirements when the recipients of the
> Program are using the Program in a way that the distributor did not
> intend.
You have missed the point. The GPL states that its license must be
distributed with copy-lefted work. It does not, however, define what
constitutes a "work". All non-trivial projects can be subdivided and
distributed or used as subparts. The GPL does not cover this area. As
a whole, the Debian project provides the GPL with the results of its
labor. Therefore, we are complying with its requirements.
- Brian
Reply to: