Re: [msysGit] Re: [ANNOUNCE] GIT 1.5.4

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> writes:

> On Thu, 7 Feb 2008, Luciano Rocha wrote:
>
>> On Sat, Feb 02, 2008 at 11:42:11PM +0100, Steffen Prohaska wrote:
>> > 
>> >  On Feb 2, 2008, at 5:34 AM, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> > 
>> > > The latest feature release GIT 1.5.4 is available at the usual
>> > > places:
>> > 
>> >  The msysgit setup is available at:
>> > 
>> >    http://code.google.com/p/msysgit/downloads/
>> > 
>> 
>> Why do I have to accept the GPL to install msysgit?
>
> Because that's the only license you have to use git.

Uh no.  The right to use git is "fair use": if you have acquired a copy
of a copyrighted work through a legal channel, you have prima facie a
certain set of rights.  Conventional software "licenses" try to make you
give up many of these rights which is why the recipient needs to agree
to those licenses (which are actually contracts rather than licenses).

But the GPL just grants additional rights, so no agreement is necessary
for fair use.  From the GPL 2.1 (please read the first sentence in
particular):

    Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
    covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act of
    running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
    is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
    Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
    Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.

-- 
David Kastrup