Re: Fasttrak100 questions...

["Jeff V. Merkey" <jmerkey@vger.timpanogas.org>]

On Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 10:14:47AM -0500, Christopher Friesen wrote:
> "Jeff V. Merkey" wrote:
> > 
> > On Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 09:08:30PM +0100, Henning P . Schmiedehausen wrote:
> 
> > > I use heavily patched kernels with lots of inhouse-stuff on a regular
> > > base for my inhouse use and there is _no_ way for you to even get a
> > > glimpse at it.  I don't give this to anyone, it's all just my personal
> > > stuff.
> > 
> > Depending on the terms of your use of the code, the Copyright holder
> > can obtain an order compelling you to hand over the code from a
> > State or US District Court Judge, if you are using it under the terms
> > of the GPL and fail to provide the modifications upon request, and you
> > are shown to be "converting" business opportunities to your own
> > benefit with it, GPL or no.
> 
> I think you should re-read the GPL.  You only have to provide source to
> people to whome you have distributed your new binaries, and you only
> have to provide that source if you are asked for it.  If you have some
> code that you have written that is based on GPL'd code, and you are the
> only person that ever runs the binaries, then there is no obligation for
> you to make your code available to anybody.

Depends on what terms the code is provided under.  Using GPL code in a 
for profit enterprise and distributing it to customers does require 
that the changes be provided upon request.  I have read the GPL, and 
I've had a lot of lawyers around here read and analyze it too. 

:-)

Jeff

> 
> Only once you distribute the software to others do you have to make the
> code available, and even then you only have to make it available to
> those who have the binaries.  Of course, they can then turn around and
> do whatever they feel like with it, but thats a different issue.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Chris Friesen                    | MailStop: 043/33/F10  
> Nortel Networks                  | work: (613) 765-0557
> 3500 Carling Avenue              | fax:  (613) 765-2986
> Nepean, ON K2H 8E9 Canada        | email: cfriesen@nortelnetworks.com
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