Re: Circumventing the GPL

[Tim Smith]

In article <gyqhk.553$7g.528@fe127.usenetserver.com>,
 Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote:

> David Kastrup wrote:
> > Where is the point in throwing away valuable material?  Where is the
> > point in paying A for copying source and binaries _AND_ then make you
> > unable to do copies yourself?
> 
> That way Company A gets to have its cake and eat it to.
> It leverages available GPLed software so that the software
> it needs can be developed faster, and it prevents the source
> of the modified software from becoming visible to anyone else
> other than itself and the developers, so that it can gain
> competitive advantage and withhold secrets.

I don't think that will work.  After all, company B doesn't have to 
throw away the source.  B could ship it.  So, A can't rationally count 
on it not getting out.

A could try to make a contractual arrangement requiring B to throw out 
the source, but then I think A would be violating GPL, so that won't fly.

-- 
--Tim Smith