From: Barry Margolin <barmar@bbnplanet.com>
Subject: Re: GPL and "free" software
Date: 1999/04/29
Date: 1999-04-29T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <_91W2.175$jw4.18662@burlma1-snr2> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 7g8ip8$skl@www.inetnow.net
In article <7g8ip8$skl@www.inetnow.net>, Ken Arromdee <arromdee@tcp.com> wrote:
>The way I heard it before, his position was that distributing a patch was
>contributory infringement, since it's only useful when other people get GPL
>software and combine it with the patch. I didn't buy that version; you
>can't have contributory infringement without direct infringement and getting
>the GPL software is not direct infringement.
>
>The position that the patch itself is a derived work, rather than that the
>patch is contributory infringement which leads people to make derived works,
>seems a lot more defensible to me. It also seems as scary as the first one,
>since if you patch Windows this now means that your patch is a derived work of
>Windows and Microsoft can sue you if you distribute it....
My take on this is that distributing a work and a program that can
transform that work is equivalent to distributing the derived work that
results from running the program, since the end result is the same -- the
end user has a copy of that derived work. While it may not violate the
letter of the copyright laws, it certainly violates the spirit. Why should
it matter whether the patch is applied before or after distributing?
The only thing I can think of that's like this that has been tested in
court is some device that was designed to hook into a video game player and
enhance/alter the games. I think the game designer lost their suit against
the vendor of this device, but I don't know whether the issues are directly
applicable (I don't recall if they were suing based on copyright, patent,
or whatever).
--
Barry Margolin, barmar@bbnplanet.com
GTE Internetworking, Powered by BBN, Burlington, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-04-29 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 ` 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 ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-27 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27 0:00 ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-05-05 0:00 ` Richard E. Hawkins Esq.
1999-04-26 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
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 ` dennison
1999-05-07 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
[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$hlu@www.inetnow.net>
1999-05-04 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-05 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-08 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-08 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-11 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-10 0:00 ` Leslie Mikesell
1999-05-04 0:00 ` James Youngman
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-04 0:00 ` James Youngman
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-05-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-07 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-05-08 0:00 ` dewarr
1999-05-18 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
[not found] ` <7g7ro3$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$skl@www.inetnow.net>
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Barry Margolin [this message]
1999-04-29 0:00 ` [Offtopic for cl.ada] " Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Paul Hughett
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-08 0:00 ` dewarr
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Lynn Winebarger
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Samuel Mize
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Samuel Mize
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-28 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Fraser Wilson
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29 0:00 ` David Starner
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Ed Avis
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-04-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-29 0:00 ` David Starner
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Ed Avis
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-04-30 0:00 ` Ed Avis
[not found] ` <R5qW2.242$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 ` Peter Seebach
1999-05-04 0:00 ` Barry Margolin
1999-05-08 0:00 ` dewarr
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 ` Paul Hughett
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 ` Tim Smith
1999-04-26 0:00 ` Florian Weimer
1999-04-26 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-26 0:00 ` Phil Hunt
1999-04-27 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-04-27 0:00 ` Ronald Cole
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>
[not found] ` <7gff2f$8o2@www.inetnow.net>
1999-05-01 0:00 ` GPL and "free" software Ed Avis
1999-05-03 0:00 ` Joshua E. Rodd
1999-05-01 0:00 ` Lynn Winebarger
[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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