Re: GPL and other licences

[Graham Murray]

David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org> writes:

> Your access is limited to what the owner of the copy allows you to do
> with it.  The GPL grants rights to the owner of the copy, not to you.
> Since you have not bought or otherwise acquired ownership of the copy,
> you don't get the rights associated with its ownership.

No. The owner of the physical copy does not have the authority to
permit creation of additional copies or modifications. Only the
copyright owner has that authority. The copyright owner has, by
licensing under the GPL, given permission for copies and modifications
to be made and for the these (possibly modified) copies to be
distributed subject to certain conditions specified in the GPL. 

You do not have to be the owner of the copy in order to exercise the
rights given in the GPL. For example you borrow from the library a
book which comes with a CD containing GPL'd software. Under the terms
of the GPL are you not entitled to make a copy of that software before
returning the book and CD to the library? You do not need the
library's (owner of the physical copy you copied) permission to do
so.