Re: GPL and other licences

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   In fact, the entries I quoted refute all the assertions made by
   Alfred and yourself:

You have serious reading problems.

   1. Users of a web-based program are not covered by the GPL (and you
   who like to extrapolate should have no problem in applying that to
   people in front of a glass teletype).

Since they users of web-based programs do not have access to the
program they can't get access to the source code; direct access to the
program is a prequist to be able to accept the license at all.

   2. An organisation making copies for internal use does not
   distribute the software and can forbid its employees from
   distributing it outside the company

It cannot forbid its employess, it is explicitly prohibited by the
license.  Go read it.

   3. You cannot demand a copy of a GPLed program from the owner of a
   copy. It is the owner of a copy who decides to distribute it or not

If I have legally obtained a copy of the program, I can demand this
from the copyright holder (copyright holders are not owners, please
stop confusing property with copyright).  If the copyright holder
states that a program is GPLed, and refuses to give the source code to
people who have legally obtained the binary, then the copyright holder
can be sued for false advertisment or whatever.

   Read the FAQs again. Try and find _one_ that supports your
   interpretation. Think about what the great Confucius said: "Mind
   like parachute, only works when open." :-)

You should read the FAQ, the GPL, and copyright law.

(And that citation is actually from Frank Zappa, not Confucius,
parachutes didn't exist in 500BC, and the proper citation is `A mind
is like a parachute, it doesn't work if it is not open'.)

Cheers.