Re: denying rights?

[David Kastrup]

"yawnmoth" <terra1024@yahoo.com> writes:

> I was looking over the source for a random GPL licensed software
> product and noticed that the authors of this product had added in a
> few exceptions.  ie. after they mentioned that their software was
> licensed under the GPL, they said that "person x" and "person y"
> couldn't use it.  My question is...  can this actually be done?

If they are the original author, they can add whatever nonsense and
conditions they want to.  Basically, they dictate the license terms.
However, this software can't be combined with any "normal" GPLed
software, since this would add restrictions to the GPLed software
against the terms of the licensor from that other software.

Basically, this is not the GPL, but a different license using the same
words in large parts.  Maybe the FSF could demand that they call their
license something else (but I don't know whether GPL is registered as
a trademark), but that's about it.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum