Re: GPL and db4o

[David Kastrup]

"tovare@gmail.com" <tovare@gmail.com> writes:

> I casually read through some licencing details for db4o, and their
> explanation is all fine ... Then they discuss obligations, and the
> first paragraph which i agree with in the sence that one should feel
> obligated to provide the source to the entire community, and not just
> people whom are recipients of the GPL'ed software (if possible).
>
> The second paragraph, just blows IMHO.
>
> " When you open source your application using db4o under the GPL, it
> is important that you make db4o and your derivative work - in source
> code - available to ALL db4o users, including the db4o Community who
> provided this product free of charge. It is not sufficient to publish
> your sources only to the users of your modified product. Your source
> code must be available to all users in the db4o community.
>
> As such, db4objects may ask you from time to time on behalf of the
> community to show evidence of free, public access to your source code
> in all its versions. As a GPL licensee, you hold the responsibility to
> reply readily to this request, or any other request from a db4o
> Community member or the Free Software Foundation, which acts as the
> GPL enforcing agency. "
>
>   http://www.db4o.com/about/company/legalpolicies/gplfaq.aspx
>
> Any thoughts?

It is nonsense.  The gist of the GPL is "software must effectively come
with corresponding source code".  Where "effectively" means either
distributing the corresponding source code right next or with the binary
(without extra cost), or the written offer etc (GPLv3 offers other
ways).

There is no obligation to "source code in all its versions", just
"corresponding versions", and there is no obligation towards anybody
except recipients of the software (though they may pass on an offer in
writing, more or less).

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum