Re: SFLC's GPL court enforcement -- track record

[rjack]

Hyman Rosen wrote:
> Rahul Dhesi wrote:
> > I think you folks are assuming that the GPL somehow gives you, the buyer of
> >  the router, the right to get source code from somewhere.
>
> It does, unless the chain of GPL licensing is somehow broken, perhaps through
>  the use of the First Sale Doctrine.

There is no such thing as a "chain of licensing" under the GPL. The GPL is a
nonexclusive license and there is no such thing as "sub-licensing" under a
nonexclusive license. The best you can do is a "transfer of contractual
interest". You can't transfer ownership of copyrights with a nonexclusive
license and you can't license what you don't own.

Sincerely
Rjack :)

Sec. 101 definitions.
A “transfer of copyright ownership” is an assignment, mortgage, exclusive
license, or any other conveyance, alienation, or hypothecation of a copyright or
of any of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright, whether or not it is
limited in time or place of effect, but not including a nonexclusive license.
(Copyright Act of 1976)