Re: what DOES the GPL really say?

[dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)]

Wes says

<<1. I was trying to meet a set of requirements.  One of those
   requirements was incompatible with the GPL.  Saying "yes you can"
   is the same as saying "no that's not a requirement." and doesn't
   help me meet that requirement.
>>

This is still an odd way of saying things ("incompatible with the GPL")

The proper viewpoint is the following.

I am writing a program
I could simplify my job if I could use this code
However, this code is copyrighted
I do not have permission to copy the code
Therefore I cannot use it


The fact that the code is GPL'ed is entirely irrelevant to this scenario.
As with any copyrighted code, if you want to use it in a given context,
you have to ask permission of the copyright holder. If the copyright
holder is FSF or Microsoft, the answer may well be no, the copyright
holder is under no obligation to let you use their copyrighted code.

If the GPL allows you do do something with a particular copy of some
code, fine, but if it does not, then you are in the same boat as you
would be with any copyrighted code. You need to go to the copyright
holder and see if you can get their permission for your intended use.

Note that the holder of the copyright may always give you MORE permission
than the GPL allows, the GPL gives certain permissions to everyone other
than the copyright holder. But the holder can do anything they like.

Now it is true in practice that if the holder is FSF, they are pretty
unlikely to give you permission for a usage that is inconsistent with
the GPL, but who knows there could be some circumstances in which it
would seem appropriate (I think allowing Wes to use it in proprietary
software that his company intends to hoard is likely NOT one of these
circumstances :-)