On Mon, Oct 16, 2000 at 08:31:59AM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > This is not compatible with the GPL (or the DSFG, I believe). The > The GPL is about reading, writing, modifying, and distributing software. > It doesn't restrict platform compatibility (or even require functionality > or compilability, for that matter). And it expressly forbids patents that > restrict the modification rights it grants. (Otherwise, you might plead > that, technically, the GPL didn't cover use and so is disjoint from any > restraints on running the program, which is what patents cover (i.e. the > device the patents cover isn't actually in existence until the software > runs)).
Fortunately not. Read sections 7 and 8 of the GPL. If a patent prevents you from distributing a GPL'd program, you may not do so. The DFSG is concerned with Copyright, and so does not apply here as long as the DFSG is satisfied. > Anyway, the GPL is freer than the patent license, so forbids > redistribution (at least in the country in which the patent holds). Not really. The patent would have to place restrictions on distribution of rtlinux for it to matter. It doesn't. -- Joseph Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> GnuPG key 1024D/DCF9DAB3 Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.debian.org/) 20F6 2261 F185 7A3E 79FC The QuakeForge Project (http://quakeforge.net/) 44F9 8FF7 D7A3 DCF9 DAB3 <WildTHing> ok guys .. so whens the next commit :PP <taniwha> when they come to get me
