Re: and visual library once again

["Marc A. Criley" <mcNOSPAM@mckae.com>]

Jean-Pierre Rosen wrote:
> Marc A. Criley a �crit :
> 
>> I'm also free to _request_ that they not distribute the app (the GPL 
>> does not preclude doing this), and that if they choose to distribute 
>> anyway it will negatively impact our future business relationship.
>>
> No, you are not. The definition of "free software" makes it very clear 
> that you are allowed to redistribute it freely.

Yes, I _am_ right...and so are you :-)

I posed this specific question to the FSF to get a clear answer.  Brett 
Smith from the Free Software Foundation Licensing Team replied that 
"There is nothing in the license to prevent this [threatening to 
withhold future support if the customer distributes the product]; in 
fact, Red Hat does exactly this with customers of their support 
services.  This is not quite the same thing as placing restrictions on 
the software -- after all, the customers are still legally able to 
exercise their rights under the GPL."

I added the portion in [brackets] to clarify exactly what "this" 
referred to.

Go to the source, Jean-Pierre!   :-)

-- Marc A. Criley
-- McKae Technologies
-- www.mckae.com
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