GPL compliance

[Benj. Mako Hill]

<quote who="Scott James Remnant" date="Thu, Jun 29, 2006 at 06:16:53PM +0100">
> > <quote who="Scott James Remnant" date="Wed, Jun 28, 2006 at 02:57:39PM +0100">
> > > A README file would be part of the media, rather than accompanying
> > > it, no?
> > 
> > I've seen people satisify the source requirements for the GLP with a
> > README file on the CD. Of course, I'll leave the final verdict up the
> > FSF.
>
> Isn't the final verdict up to the individual licence owners?

In that copyright holders are the ones who get to decide to bring
someone to court over violations of their exclusive rights, you are
free to interpret the GPL as you see fit or to selectively enforce it.
You can decide to let things slide that other copyright holders might
not.

The FSF's opinion is important for at least three reasons I can think
of off the top of my head:

 * They have copyright assignments for the code in most or all GNU
   project which means they, and they alone, get to decide when and
   how they enforce the copyright of may of the most important
   libraries and applications.

 * They are the author and maintainer of the GPL and may be called as
   an expert witness to help a judge decide what is the license
   actually says. Then again, they might not. Presumably their opinion
   would count for something when it comes down to the "how long is
   this string" types of issues.

 * They have lawyers on staff who helped draft the current language
   and have thought long and hard about the issues involved. :)

> e.g. I have a very different interpretation to the FSF about how the
> GPL covers dynamic linking than the FSF have ... so when I licence
> libraries under the GPL, I think it's _perfectly_acceptable_ for
> non-GPL binaries to use them.

Fair enough. But it seems like it would probably make more sense for
you use to the LGPL in the future where the issue is not up for
debate.

Regards,
Mako


-- 
Benjamin Mako Hill
mako at ubuntu.com
http://mako.cc

Creativity can be a social contribution, but only in so
far as society is free to use the results. --RMS