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If you made copies on one machine, and the software in question never left that one machine, you might be able to get away with not releasing your changes. But in practice, if an organization uses software, they are going to copy and distribute it.
Also, I don't think that the "and" means that both must happen. The license is talking about granting you rights, so it says you have the right to copy AND the right to distribute. If it said "copy OR distribute", then you would only have the right to do one or the other.
If it really meant "copy and distribute" together, that would be a gaping hole in the GPL.
.hc
On Jan 4, 2006, at 12:18 PM, B. Bogart wrote:
Ah, but it says "coping AND distribution" so you would be free to copy as long as much as you want as long as you don't distribute it. (which I guess means provide copies to other people).
if there was a free software law list I would suggest this thread move to there, but I have no idea if there is one...
b.
Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
On Jan 4, 2006, at 7:10 AM, Marc Lavallée wrote:
Le 3 Janvier 2006 20:36, Hans-Christoph Steiner a écrit :
But if that same software had been released under the GNU GPL, then even though that military would be allowed to use the software, they would have to release any of their additions under the GNU GPL.
The GPL does not force the release of source code modifications for internal use. If I have a contract with a programmer to adapt a GPL software, I can use it and keep the source, unless I want to redistribute this modified (or enhanced) software.
Actually, the GPL covers copying and distribution. So I suppose if you never copied a single file, then you would not have to release the source. But even if you copied a fraction of a file, then the license terms kick in.
Here's the relevant parts of the GNU GPL:
- You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readablesource code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
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