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Re: GPL and other licences


From: Stefaan A Eeckels
Subject: Re: GPL and other licences
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 22:11:18 +0100

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 23:35:00 +0100
"Alfred M\. Szmidt" <ams@gnu.org> wrote:

>    In the case of our friend Backslash, 
> 
> I'm assuming that I am this Backslash person; if I'm not ignore the
> following: Have the decency to call me by my name, instead of calling
> me obscure names.

As you've noticed, it the backslash in your name. It stands out like a
sore thumb. My apologies, I was frustrated with you and David.

>    where he's trying to argue he can copy GPLed software because his
>    company "gave" him the CD (to file), it would not be your
>    unfinished software, now would it?
> 
> If the company recived the CD legally, and gives it to me, then the
> company cannot dictate what I can do with it, only the copyright
> holder can.

As I tried to explain, for certain values of "give". If the company you
work for instructs you to file all CDs in a cupboard, they do not
transfer ownership to you, and thus you're merely acting in your
capacity of agent of the company. You might describe your job as "they
*gave* me a lot of CDs (to file)", but that value of "give" is not the
same as when they give the CD to you to keep ("Hey Alfred, here's an
old copy of Linux, would you like to have it or do I throw it in the
bin?").

> If the company got a "hot" CD with David's software, and I would then
> distribute it, then both the company and I could be sued by David for
> copyright infrigment, and other fancy stuff.

Actually, as far as I understand it, you would be the only person in
trouble. The company might have a pre-release of David's GPLed
software, but this does not give you, their employee, the right to
copy and distribute it. The fact that the software is licensed to the
company under the GPL does not mean that it is licensed to you under
the GPL, and hence you would be in the dock for theft (of the CD, and
the software).

Take care,

-- 
Stefaan
-- 
As complexity rises, precise statements lose meaning,
and meaningful statements lose precision. -- Lotfi Zadeh 


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