On Wed, Oct 20, 2004 at 01:51:29PM +0100, Anthony Youngman wrote: > Sorry, my goof. I shouldn't be sloppy. It's the FSF faq. "Is making and > using multiple copies within one organization or company "distribution"? > <> ". As I read that, it's simply saying that the "you" in the FAQ can > be a company, and as such internal distribution is just "use" and the > GPL doesn't apply.
That makes sense. Then again, easyco's page says: Local subsidiaries and franchisees are clearly separate business entities and considered distribution rather than use. Similarly, provision of non-GPL-compliant copies to independent contractors under non-GPL terms may constitute unpermitted distribution. When in doubt, have your attorney review your usage for compliance, or purchase a commercial QM license. There's a bit of fud in there, and a bit of sales pitch, but they seem to be leaving the boundaries in the same place as the fsf. Mind you, in most companies the data is likely a lot more significant than the code. Hard coding business secrets into a program likely indicates a lack of flexibility and is probably a sign that the business is in trouble. -- Raul