Re: Did I finally figure out the rationale?

[David Kastrup]

mike3 <mike4ty4@yahoo.com> writes:

> On May 26, 1:32 pm, David Kastrup <d...@gnu.org> wrote:
>>
>> In short: the GPL tries to do as much as it can to promote [free]
>> software under the constraints that mass redistribution of
>> unmodified GPLed software should remain permitted without requiring
>> contractual restrictions.
>>
>> In spite of its detractors, it does a pretty good job with that.
>
> So then *what is the point* of specifically requiring the derivative
> works to be made totally free, including the parts of code that did
> not originate from the GPL program? Why must _those parts_ also be
> distributed free, if the point is just to keep the GPL program free?

Uh what?  That is not "just the point" (unless you are asking Alfred,
that is).  The point is to promote the creation of free software
specifically, and have the GPLed software do nothing to help with the
creation of proprietary software since that is not desirable.

It's not like this is not written explicitly in Stallman's essay that
I quoted to you.  And it's not like I have not repeatedly explained
it.  So how come you still are harping on this "just to keep the GPL
program free" nonsense?  If that was the aim, the BSD license would be
quite fine: apart from redistribution efforts, software under the BSD
license is easy to continuedly support as free software.  But the
existence of such free software is no incentive to create more free
software.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum