Hallo, Hans-Christoph Steiner hat gesagt: // Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
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.
No, it isn't, at least not in the view of the FSF. Actually that and a lot of other things are covered in the GPL-FAQ:
Is making and using multiple copies within one organization or company "distribution"?
No, in that case the organization is just making the copies for itself. As a consequence, a company or other organization can develop a modified version and install that version through its own facilities, without giving the staff permission to release that modified version to outsiders.
However, when the organization transfers copies to other organizations or individuals, that is distribution. In particular, providing copies to contractors for use off-site is distribution.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#InternalDistribution
Ciao
On Jan 9, 2006, at 7:46 AM, Frank Barknecht wrote:
Hallo, Hans-Christoph Steiner hat gesagt: // Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
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.
No, it isn't, at least not in the view of the FSF. Actually that and a lot of other things are covered in the GPL-FAQ:
Is making and using multiple copies within one organization or company "distribution"?
No, in that case the organization is just making the copies for itself. As a consequence, a company or other organization can develop a modified version and install that version through its own facilities, without giving the staff permission to release that modified version to outsiders.
However, when the organization transfers copies to other organizations or individuals, that is distribution. In particular, providing copies to contractors for use off-site is distribution.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#InternalDistribution
I stand corrected.
I think the GPL 3 will cover a related topic. The aim is to force sharing of internally modified GPL software that is used to power publically accessible services like websites. But only for that specific situation.
.hc
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