On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 5:09 PM, Neil Brown <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On 9 Mar 2014, at 19:06, Olliver Schinagl <[email protected]> wrote: > > How long of a delay would be acceptable? > > > As others have said, there is no position within GNU GPL 2.0 or 3.0 which > permits a delay in the provision of the source code. However, perhaps, if > your question were phrased slightly differently, it might elucidate some > further interesting and useful comments? Perhaps: > > A company develops, manufacturers and retails a product containing GNU GPL > 2.0 covered code, and distribution of the binary is to be accompanied by a > written offer conforming to section 3(b). > > Someone chooses to take up the written offer, and asks the company for a > copy of the source code. > > How long need the delay be between someone asking for the code, and the > company providing it, for that company to be considered non-compliant? > > (Hopefully formulating the question in this way does not make me one of > the horrible lawyers intent on circumventing the GPL but, if it does, at > least take comfort from the fact that I am not *your* horrible lawyer :)) > IANAL, but, 'reasonable' amount of time, which has no firm definition. Bad example, but, let's say someone requests something that I did 2 years ago, and I no longer support it. In order to get the source, I have to get it from off site storage, restore it, and then get it to you. If that happens to take me a few weeks, I wouldn't think it was unreasonable. Some zealots might, but in the end, there is no firm definition. So long as the effort required to provide the code is reasonable, then there is no issues. I suspect the question in a court of law would be, was the intent of the delays to impede or discourage requests for the source code. -- -- Thomas
