Re: The GPL dream is finally over!

[Andrew Halliwell]

Rjack <nospam@here.com> wrote:
> Anyone who finds that language ambiguous should probably return to
> kindergarten for a refresher course in reading skills. It's either that 
> or perhaps their cognitive skills are hopelessly impaired like a large 
> number of Eben Moglen's true believers.

IF the GPL is nullified in the USA, all that is nullified is the permission
to copy. Because it's only the permission to copy (and the restrictions on
how it is copied) which is tied to the GPL.

That would mean the rest-of-the-world [tm] could continue to use GPL
software unimpeded, but everyone in the usa would simply be banned from
acquiring any new copies of it without first gaining explicit permission
from each and every GPL project owner to do so.

A distro COULD do all the legwork and produce a distribution which was fully
legal but it would cost a fortune to contact every single piece of
software's owner just to get permission for something everyone else in the
world has by default. And of course, that permission to copy would not be
transferable. No more copying the CDs for friends. Possibly even no more
installing on multiple machines without prior consent from the distro.

That would set the USA back god knows how much, or put the rest of the world
at a massive advantage at least. I don't think even george is stupid enough
to commit national suicide like that.
-- 
|   spike1@freenet.co,uk   | "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?"   |
|   Andrew Halliwell BSc   |                                                 |
|            in            | "I think so brain, but this time, you control   |
|     Computer Science     |  the Encounter suit, and I'll do the voice..."  |