On Sun, 2002-04-07 at 13:46, Paul Cox wrote: > NOT providing free and easy access to the _current_ .iso is about the > biggest violation you can make to the GPL. And changing to a different > license will go against everything MandrakeSoft stands for and will > never happen. > > -- > Paul Cox <paul at coxcentral dot com> > Kernel: 2.4.18-6mdksecure - Uptime: 5 days 11 hours 4 minutes.
Not true. The GPL does not force anyone to provide their own or anyone
else's software for free. It only forces them to include the source
code, including any changes they make, when they give or sell the
software. Mandrake would be fully within their legal rights, inculding
both the letter and the spirit of the GPL, if they chose to only sell
their software and not give it away -- again, as long as they provide
the source code with the software.
The thing you need to understand is that there is a *big* difference
between free-as-in-beer and free-as-in-speech. The GPL only defines and
enforces free-as-in-speech. The free-as-in-beer approach is a
longstanding and respected tradition in the *nix world, but there is no
legal enforcement of that tradition within the GPL.
Even RMS himself has no philosophical problem with commercial software
being sold for profit, as long as that sale includes a true transfer of
ownership, including source code, of the software. In other words, he
believes that once someone pays for software, they own it and have every
right to do with it whatever they want, including modify the source, and
copy and sell it to others for a profit -- as long as they include the
source code with any modifications, and as long as they also transfer
the ownership of the software to their customer to do with as they wish.
Truly free software (even in RMS' definition) can still have a price tag
attached.
*Standard disclaimer*
I am not a lawyer, and have made no in-depth analysis of the GPL. The
above statements are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and
understanding, including everything I have ever read about or from
Richard M. Stallman.
--
Dave Sherman Beware the wrath of dragons,
MCSE, MCSA, CCNA for you are crunchy,
and good with ketchup.
"lynx -source http://sildara.dyndns.org/davepub.asc | gpg --import"
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