Re: Problem with GNAT modified GPL and SourceForge

["Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org>]

Be careful about the term "public domain" because that means something
different than simply making source code available to the public. "Public
Domain" would mean a work for which the copyright had expired or was
voluntarily surrendered. An example would be the works of Shakespear. (O.K.,
I have not actually checked, but it would be a good bet that there are no
heirs of Shakespear still around renewing copyrights on his works. And I
think there's some maximum number of years a copyright can be renewed
anyway - 99 years? - so its a good bet this stuff has slipped into the
Public Domain. :-)

Anybody is free to make and sell - or give away - copies of Shakespear's
"Hamlet" provided that they make copies from a public domain source. (Once
you put it into a book of your own though, you can have a copyright on that
instance of "Hamlet" so photocopying your book and redistributing it would
be a violation. But that's another story.)

So while source code might be made freely available to the public, that
doesn't necessarily mean that the copyright has been surrendered and that
there may not be conditions on its use & redistribution.

MDC
--
Marin David Condic
Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
Enabling the digital revolution
e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com
Web:      http://www.mcondic.com/


"Preben Randhol" <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> wrote in message
news:slrna6a6n3.q8.randhol+abuse@kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no...
>
> Yes the GPL is Proprietarian in the sense that it requires the code and
> derivative code to be in the "public domain". Wheras Microsofts license
> is Proprietarian in the sense to keep the code out of the "public domain".
> At least this is how I see it.
>