On Thu, 4 Apr 2002, at 4:01pm, Derek D. Martin wrote: > Legally, they have to. Kimberlite is GPL, and any product based on it > must also be GPL.
No, any product incorporating Kimberlite's *code* has to be GPL. RHS might simply be using Kimberlite as the foundation of a suite of cluster tools, in which case the rest of it can be whatever they want. > One of the sticking points here though, if I understand the GPL correctly, > is that they only need to be made available to those who ask for the code. In a nutshell, the GPL says: If you distribute this program, you are required to provide the source, including any modifications or additions you made, at no additional charge (beyond cost of distribution). That is all. It does not say anything about what you charge, or who you distribute the program to in the first place. There are some additional restrictions (e.g., you cannot further restrict distribution), but they are there mostly to close loopholes. In particular, the GPL does not cover *usage* -- only distribution. The GPL is base on copyright, unlike most commercial licenses, which are (attempting to be) contracts. The GPL is probably one of the most misunderstood documents in the computer industry. > It also does not mean you're required to distribute it to the public at > large; you're only required to make it available to those to whom you've > distributed the derivative work. Right. As you say, those you distribute it to are free to further redistribute it, of course. Which means it does not take much for a GPL cat to be let out of the bag, so to speak. :-) -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
