GPL (was: [Fwd: [WBEL-devel] Rebuilt Progeny RPMs for RHL 7.2/7.3/8.0])

[Axel Thimm]

On Fri, Jan 16, 2004 at 02:12:48PM -0600, Chris Spencer wrote:
> On Fri, 2004-01-16 at 13:09, Ray Ferguson wrote:
> > Technically the sources are GPLed so the provider never has to have a 
> > subscription or SLA of any kind to be entitled to the source code.  
> > Additionally WBEL scrubs the source of trade marks prior to recompile, so you 
> > can use WBEL without voiding RHEL SLAs.  Same goes for progeny.  
> 
> I can take a get the source to a product under the GPL.
> I can make modifications to it and repackage it.
> I can sell my repackaged for to corporation XYZ and I can say here is a
> modified product.  It's licensed under the GPL so here is the source. 
> You can do with it anything you want...but if you re-release it I won't
> sell you the next upgrade.

All true, but the last, if the product is made _publicly_ available,
like RHEL3, Progeny update services etc.

> XYZ can re-release the code in any way they want...they have the freedom
> that the GPL affords but I don't have to continue to do business with
> them.

You have to provide source code, even if you never had done or will do
business with a person, if you are offering the product publicly.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html

The above is not to interpreted as an encouragement to follow this
practice, that is an etirely different matter.

> As far as Red Hat and WBEL goes....what it boils down to (my bet) is
> that they don't want the negative publicity associated with cracking
> down on it.  The fact is they can't touch WBEL anyway.  
> 
> They can however, shut off the freely (and openly) provided distribution
> and errata source code.  They still have to provide it but they could
> get away with doing it only for subscribers and they could tell their
> subscribers that their service would be terminated if they used it on
> multiple systems without paying for each.

No, that's not a possible business model with the GPL.
(but I'm no lawyer either)

> What I would hope is that people that are do these types of things don't
> expect that they will be allowed to forever get no cost updates.  
> 
> If people want no cost updates then they better start contributing right
> here.  Right now.
> 
> -Chris
> 
> "There are only two things that are infinite: the universe and human
> stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Axel.Thimm at physik.fu-berlin.de
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