Re: [Bug-gnubg] Request

[Joern Thyssen]

On Sat, Jul 27, 2002 at 03:08:29PM +0200, Backgammon.it wrote
> Hi,
> 
> my company (www.netwise.it) mantains the italian backgammon portal 
> www.backgammon.it and I was asking myself if it's ok with the gnubg license 
> to put a web interface on our website where people can analyze matches and 
> positions. Our machine is Redhat Linux 7.2 and I guess it will be not too 
> difficult to implement something like this.

The following were posted to the gnubg mailing list in June:

---------------------------------------
> 
> Subject: Re: GnuBg dll and licensing
> 
> The following e-mail might interest you (it was written by Bradley Kuhn,
> the Vice President of the FSF, in response to somebody else's query):
> 
> } > I have a question about the interpretation of the GPL.
> } >
> } > Point 2b states the following:
> } >
> } > "You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or
> } > in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be
> } > licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of
> } > this License."
> } >
> } > I am the author of a program which is a server. People can connect to it
> } > and use it. (Of course, the program is licensed under GPL).  A friend of
> } > mine runs a modified version of this program, and claims that his
> } > modifications are not free and that the GPL does not apply to his
> } > modifications.
> }
> } The GPL certainly applies to his modifications, regardless.  However, that
> } is a separate issue from whether or not the GPL requires him to distribute
> } source in a particular case.
> }
> } If your friend uses his software only on his server, and does not distribute
> } the binaries to anyone else, he has not legally distributed the software.
> } If the software is not distributed to anyone, he is not required to provide
> } source to anyone.
> }
> } This is true even if he supplies a public service on a network that uses GPL
> } code on his machine.
> 
> Broader information about the GNU GPL is available from:
> 
>     http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html
> 
> 
> My personal interpretation of the situation (which might not be the same
> way the FSF sees it) is that if somebody runs software based on gnubg
> on some backgammon server, then that software is covered by the GPL.  One
> consequence is that if they distribute the software, they are obliged to
> give certain rights to whoever they distribute it to (such as access to
> the source code, and rights to modify and to redistribute).  But merely
> running the program on the server does not itself constitute distribution,
> and it is permissible to modify GPLed software for private use without
> being obliged to distribute it.
> 
> Cheers,
> Gary.
> --
>    Gary Wong           address@hidden           
> http://www.cs.arizona.edu/~gary/
> 
---------------------------------------

Jørn

-- 
Joern Thyssen, PhD
Vendsysselgade 3, 3., DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
+45 9813 2791 (private) / +45 2077 2689 (mobile) / +45 9633 7036 (work)