On May 22, 2:05 am, "Alfred M. Szmidt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On May 21, 4:21 pm, David Kastrup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > mike3 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > He would not have to "bargain" for any copy of the GPL program. And > > > it (the GPL program) would not have a different license -- the only > > > thing that has a different license is the non-GPL program. > > > > But the non-GPL program has no use of its own. > > > > Oh, since it depends _vitally_ on the GPL one. > > > >> The GPL is intended to guarantee the freedom of the code itself > > >> _and_ descendants. > > > > > And the non-GPL code suddenly then becomes a "descendant" of the GPL > > > code the instant it is made dependent on the GPL code in _any_ way, > > > shape, or form? > > > > No. The linked executable containing both parts is the descendant. > > And the court may very well decide that you are in effect performing > > distribution of this descendant if your code has no other viable > > purpose, and if there is no viable non-GPLed source. > > > > So then even if both are _not_ linked together, since one > _vitally_ depends on the other, then it is considered a single > program regardless of separate distribution of the components. > > It seems then that the GNU license is designed not just to protect > a piece of free code's freedom, but to _create more free code_. > > It is meant to protect free software so that free software stays free. > If you use a library, and a non-free program, the end result is not > free software, and the GPL protects us from people who wish to do > mischeif like that.
But the free software is the GPL program -- how does it protect free software by requiring that the non-GPL one become GPL as well? The free software is only the GPL program -- which can function on it's own, unlike the non-GPL program, and if all sources to said GPL program are divulged under GPL, then how is it made any less free? It isn't!!! So, it's to create *more* free code, right? _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list gnu-misc-discuss@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
