Re: what DOES the GPL really say?

[David Kastrup <dak@mailhost.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>]

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Ronald Cole <ronald@ridgenet.net> writes:

> peltz@jaka.ece.uiuc.edu (Steve Peltz) writes:
> > However, it doesn't seem to fit with the ideals of the
> > GPL and FSF.
> 
> You may actually be surprised at what Stallman's ideals actually are!
> I thought as you did, and pressed Richard about the altruism he
> describes in his GNU Manifesto.  He told me that "[I was] interpreting
> what [he] wrote in a way that is not [his] interpretation."  I then
> asked him to explain just exactly how he got from "if I like a program
> I must share it with other people who like it" to "each person should
> be free to decide who not to give a copy to".  He never bothered to
> reply.  In light of this statement from the Manifesto "the desire to
> be rewarded for one's creativity does not justify depriving the world
> in general of all or part of that creativity," I think he sold out on
> his principles.

You are confusing things.  Wishing that people would behave in a
cooperative way is not equivalent to forcing them to do so.  The GPL
is there to prevent the use of software contrary to the intentions of
the author of it.

The act of making a piece of software GPL is a voluntary act of the
software author.  It does not make sense to attach strings to this
which will not help distribution significantly, but scare away authors
needlessly.  A licence like that should *help* the author in making
his software available in a useful way, not burden him or place
responsibilities on him.  The responsibilities rest with
distributors.  As long as they comply with the reasonable
restrictions, they are free making as much money from it as they
want.  Which might not be so very much, as competition could chime in
legally anytime.

-- 
David Kastrup                                     Phone: +49-234-700-5570
Email: dak@neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de       Fax: +49-234-709-4209
Institut f�r Neuroinformatik, Universit�tsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany