> This is especially true if you > interpret the many different modules of LaTeX as separate works (as the > LaTeX Project seems to do)
I don't see how you can do anything but consider them separate works. If you are writing latex packages then latex is essentially a programming language. So you write your program (in latex) you retain the copyright and you stick it on some server with a licence of your choice. You can do this without reference to the latex maintainers and without using ctan (although the ctan network is a popular choice of distribution method). At what point would your new program cease to be a separate work? The whole point of producing LPPL was to offer people who are doing the above a convenient off the shelf licence they could use. (Note "could" not "must") some people use GPL, traditionally most did no explicit licence at all, something we have been trying to get people to avoid in recent years. An important part of this is that latex isn't given special privileges: it is licenced under the same licence that we offer people to use in their packages. What Debian gets is tetex in which Thomas has done a massive ammount of work making all these disparate programs (not just latex related) have the appearance of a coherent whole. But if making such a package meant you no longer had to worry about the licence conditions on the separate works that are being packaged, we wouldn't be needing this conversation at all. David _____________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses by Star Internet delivered through the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service. For further information visit http://www.star.net.uk/stats.asp or alternatively call Star Internet for details on the Virus Scanning Service.