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From: Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-dejanews.com>
Subject: Re: GPL and "free" software
Date: 1999/05/06
Date: 1999-05-06T00:00:00+00:00	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <7gsrea$g3c$1@nnrp1.deja.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: r2lY2.447$jw4.33999@burlma1-snr2

In article <r2lY2.447$jw4.33999@burlma1-snr2>,
  Barry Margolin <barmar@bbnplanet.com> wrote:
> In article <7gqrbf$mun$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,

> The GPL never specifically addresses the issue we're discussing.  It's all
> post facto posturing by RMS, as he tries to figure out how to apply the GPL
> to situations that didn't exist when it was written.  What he feels is a
> logical extension of the spirit of the GPL may not in fact be supported by
> copyright law.

Nor could it! The issue of whether the patch file is or is not a derived
work is a matter of copyright law, not something that can be addressed
by the GPL.

However, it is my opinion that indeed the current copyright law would
determine that the patch file was a derived work. I base this opinion
on the work I have done as an expert witness in software copyright
cases. Of course it would need a court ruling to determine this
precisely.

I can also tell you that lawyers at one large company definitely
agree there is a real problem in distributing patch files ...

As always, feel free to try it and see. Note that most situations
in which companies have pushed the GPL have resulted in quick
agreements to change behavior and have not ended up in court. I
am not sure how many companies would be happy to be in court right
now in a position which would make them seem to be undermining the
principles of free software!

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  reply	other threads:[~1999-05-06  0:00 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 162+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
1999-04-20  0:00 air traffic control software Terry J. Westley
1999-04-21  0:00 ` Kevin Rigotti
1999-04-21  0:00   ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-21  0:00     ` GPL and "free" software (was: air traffic control software) Terry J. Westley
1999-04-21  0:00       ` dennison
1999-04-21  0:00       ` bill
1999-04-23  0:00         ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-23  0:00         ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-23  0:00           ` Tom Moran
1999-04-24  0:00             ` Florian Weimer
1999-04-25  0:00               ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                 ` GPL and "free" software Nick Roberts
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Phil Hunt
1999-04-27  0:00                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27  0:00                       ` Ronald Cole
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-26  0:00                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                       ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-26  0:00                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-26  0:00                             ` Tim Smith
1999-04-27  0:00                             ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-27  0:00                               ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-27  0:00                             ` David Kastrup
1999-04-27  0:00                             ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-27  0:00                               ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-27  0:00                                 ` Joshua E. Rodd
     [not found]                                   ` <7g5qgg$n7t@www.inetnow.net>
1999-04-28  0:00                                     ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-28  0:00                                       ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-28  0:00                                         ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-29  0:00                                           ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` David Starner
1999-04-29  0:00                                               ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-29  0:00                                               ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-30  0:00                                                 ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-05-05  0:00                                               ` Richard E. Hawkins Esq.
1999-05-05  0:00                                                 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-05  0:00                                                   ` Richard E. Hawkins Esq.
1999-05-06  0:00                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06  0:00                                                       ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-06  0:00                                                         ` Robert Dewar [this message]
1999-05-06  0:00                                                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06  0:00                                                           ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-06  0:00                                                             ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06  0:00                                                               ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-06  0:00                                                                 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06  0:00                                                                   ` Roger Espel Llima
1999-05-07  0:00                                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-07  0:00                                                                       ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-07  0:00                                                                       ` dennison
     [not found]                                             ` <7gdv6m$1fid$1@Mercury.mcs.net>
1999-05-03  0:00                                               ` [O/T 4 cla] " Joshua E. Rodd
     [not found]                                                 ` <7gkmt5$e8t@www.inetnow.net>
1999-05-03  0:00                                                   ` Joshua E. Rodd
     [not found]                                                     ` <7gnb7u$hlu@www.inetnow.net>
1999-05-04  0:00                                                       ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-05  0:00                                                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-05  0:00                                                           ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-06  0:00                                                             ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-08  0:00                                                               ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-08  0:00                                                                 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10  0:00                                                                   ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-11  0:00                                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10  0:00                                                                       ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-11  0:00                                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10  0:00                                                                       ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-11  0:00                                                                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-11  0:00                                                                           ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-12  0:00                                                                             ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-04  0:00                                                   ` James Youngman
1999-05-06  0:00                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-04  0:00                                                 ` James Youngman
1999-05-06  0:00                                                   ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06  0:00                                             ` Robert A Duff
1999-05-06  0:00                                               ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-07  0:00                                                 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-05-08  0:00                                                   ` dewarr
1999-05-18  0:00                                                     ` Joshua E. Rodd
     [not found]                                       ` <7g7ro3$q91@www.inetnow.net>
1999-04-28  0:00                                         ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-29  0:00                                           ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-29  0:00                                               ` Aidan Skinner
     [not found]                                             ` <7g8ip8$skl@www.inetnow.net>
1999-04-29  0:00                                               ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-29  0:00                                                 ` [Offtopic for cl.ada] " Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-30  0:00                                                 ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-30  0:00                                                   ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-08  0:00                                           ` dewarr
1999-04-28  0:00                                         ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-28  0:00                                 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-28  0:00                                   ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-28  0:00                                     ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-29  0:00                                       ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                         ` Robert A Duff
1999-04-29  0:00                                           ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-28  0:00                                     ` Samuel Mize
1999-04-29  0:00                                       ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-28  0:00                                     ` Samuel Mize
1999-04-29  0:00                                     ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-29  0:00                                     ` Fraser Wilson
1999-04-29  0:00                                       ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29  0:00                                         ` David Starner
1999-04-29  0:00                                           ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` David Starner
1999-04-30  0:00                                               ` Ed Avis
1999-04-30  0:00                                                 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-30  0:00                                                   ` Ed Avis
     [not found]                                                     ` <R5qW2.242$jw4.22063@burlma1-snr2>
     [not found]                                                       ` <372ADEED.D907754@doc.ic.ac.uk>
1999-05-03  0:00                                                         ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-05-04  0:00                                                           ` Ed Avis
1999-05-04  0:00                                                             ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-04  0:00                                                               ` Ed Avis
1999-05-04  0:00                                                                 ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-08  0:00                                                                   ` dewarr
1999-05-04  0:00                                                                 ` Peter Seebach
1999-05-04  0:00                                                         ` Alan Braggins
1999-05-01  0:00                                                 ` Phil Hunt
1999-05-02  0:00                                                   ` Ed Avis
1999-05-02  0:00                                                     ` Ole-Hjalmar Kristensen
1999-05-02  0:00                                                     ` Phil Hunt
1999-05-02  0:00                                                       ` Ed Avis
1999-05-03  0:00                                                         ` dennison
1999-05-02  0:00                                                   ` Andy Isaacson
1999-05-03  0:00                                                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29  0:00                                             ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-29  0:00                                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-30  0:00                                           ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29  0:00                                         ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-30  0:00                                     ` spblunt
1999-04-30  0:00                                       ` David Kastrup
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` spblunt
1999-04-27  0:00                             ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Florian Weimer
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Tim Smith
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                   ` spblunt
1999-04-26  0:00                     ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-26  0:00                     ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                     ` Tim Smith
1999-04-26  0:00                       ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26  0:00                       ` Kenneth P. Turvey
1999-04-27  0:00                         ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-02  0:00                             ` Mitch Blevins
1999-05-02  0:00                               ` Sam Holden
1999-05-03  0:00                                 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-27  0:00                       ` Phil Hunt
1999-04-27  0:00                         ` David Kastrup
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27  0:00                             ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-05-05  0:00                             ` Richard E. Hawkins Esq.
1999-04-27  0:00                           ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-23  0:00           ` GPL and "free" software (was: air traffic control software) Larry Kilgallen
1999-04-23  0:00             ` Robert Dewar
     [not found] ` <DXqW2.244$jw4.22256@burlma1-snr2>
     [not found]   ` <7gdln1$vna$1@jetsam.uits.indiana.edu>
     [not found]     ` <372ADFBD.4F4C241B@doc.ic.ac.uk>
1999-05-01  0:00       ` GPL and "free" software Lynn Winebarger
     [not found]       ` <7gff2f$8o2@www.inetnow.net>
1999-05-01  0:00         ` Ed Avis
1999-05-03  0:00         ` Joshua E. Rodd
     [not found]       ` <m2zp3pat3q.fsf@mailhost.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
1999-05-03  0:00         ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-05-04  0:00           ` Ed Avis
1999-05-04  0:00           ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-05-03  0:00     ` Barry Margolin
     [not found] ` <7gdd9e$36l$1@flotsam.uits.indiana.edu>
     [not found]   ` <372ADF48.B3C88507@doc.ic.ac.uk>
1999-05-04  0:00     ` Nick Roberts
1999-05-07  0:00       ` Robert Dewar
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