Re: GNU licenses

[Alexander Terekhov]

Stefaan A Eeckels wrote:
[...]
> The situation under copyright law is that you _can not_ use someone
> else's work. 

Not true.

>              The various open source licenses give you the right to do
> so while maintaining a number of conditions. Imagine that instead of
> the GPL, the author had used a "no commercial use" license. Would you
> then also feel that she unfairly restricted your ability to make money
> with your work?

And "commercial use" being what? Whatever, your ability to restrict my 
ability to make money with your work depends on how you make your work
available to me/public. An enforceable contract can prohibit a lot, but 
such restrictions have absolutely nothing to do with the copyright.

regards,
alexander.