From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_05,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 103376,344332f209947007
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
From: Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com>
Subject: Re: Gnat Free ?
Date: 1998/10/16
Message-ID: <87pvbs6zb3.fsf@yakisoba.forte-intl.com>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 401914305
Sender: ronald@yakisoba.forte-intl.com
References: <6volj0$250$1@uuneo.neosoft.com> <3620F843.39465221@home.com>
 <3621E42C.2920@Entenhausen.net> <700rfc$6h4$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
 <3627196D.720A@Entenhausen.net> <708040$4h4$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com
X-Trace: 908568785 EUKXRERNICB63CF8DC usenet58.supernews.com
X-Face: 
 &_LF7g_ST_n]'&d`&W)uK`=*c-LkGMSD0}p~>6mH{l=-TyJr'B8VCy;J@{u_FU=PN6YRE[O
 @$UN4rYl:)9IBB-1nj2?LRPE{5zE4M|4=?e)h9R`+0:#`t1kU1edrv=w2u+Sp]jCtv!P{v3!X{f8Vf
 4@<ajZa74'dm{W(^bIX|rP'?h\)"|1<ryo^+2yrV[$uqlAc<ZOOWCZT
Organization: Forte International Technical Consulting - +1 760 499 9142
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1998-10-16T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

dennison@telepath.com writes:
> You heard wrong. Well, I suppose it could be considered not free, depending
> on your definition of free, but lets not get into that. Gnat is under the
> GPL, and thus can *never* be made proprietary.

Oh yeah?  Just try to talk Dewar out of 3.11b without crossing his
palm with some cash...  He's even threatened to consider not doing
business with any one who starts giving out wavefront ("non-p")
releases (i.e., exercises their right under the GPL).  There is little
difference in effect between "proprietary" and "hoarded".  The GPL
does not prevent hoarding.  Stallman has stated that Dewar is
perfectly free to decide who he gives any particular version of GNAT
to, and rejected the notion that the "act of distributing" under the
GPL requires one to become a distributor to every Tom, Dick, and Harry
and subsequently asks for a copy.

Of course, I've always secretly wondered if Dewar would shutdown his
business completely if every one of his clients started giving out
wavefront releases...

-- 
Forte International, P.O. Box 1412, Ridgecrest, CA  93556-1412
Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com>      Phone: (760) 499-9142
President, CEO                             Fax: (760) 499-9152
My PGP fingerprint: 15 6E C7 91 5F AF 17 C4  24 93 CB 6B EB 38 B5 E5