Re: What does the FSF advocate regarding non-free software

[Alexander Terekhov]

beirne wrote:
> 
> I'm thinking through my opinions about the FSF and am trying to figure
> something out.  I know the FSF believes that free software is the
> correct form of licensing, but does the FSF formally advocate the
> elimination of copyright laws that allow for non-free software?

http://groups.google.de/group/gnu.misc.discuss/msg/f3dc297fc150be05

<lunacy>

AM4: The problem with this change in the copyright laws for three 
would be that you wouldn't get the sources. 

RMS: Right. There would have also to be a condition, a law that to 
sell copies of the software to the public the source code must be 
deposited somewhere so that three years later it can be released. So 
it could be deposited say, with the library of congress in the US, 
and I think other countries have similar institutions where copies 
of published books get placed, and they could also received the 
source code and after three years, publish it. And of course, if the 
source code didn't correspond to the executable that would be fraud, 
and in fact if it really corresponds then they ought to be able to 
check that very easily when the work is published initially so 
you're publishing the source code and somebody there says alright 
"dot slash configure dot slash make" and sees if produces the same 
executables and uh. 

</lunacy>

regards,
alexander.