RE: People, not GPL [was: Re: Driver Model]

David Schwartz
2003-09-10T22:34:08Z

> On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 22:40:14 +0200, you wrote in linux.kernel:

> > However, Richard Stallman does not agree with this view. It's his
> > view that if the authors chose to give you the code, you can use it any
> > way you want to, regardless of how the authors feel about that type of
> > usage. This is why he created the GPL.

> Use in any way you want to is the BSD license, not the GPL.

Please show me one restriction on *use* in the GPL.

"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."

Licenses that place restrictions on usage are *not* open source licenses.

> The GPL
> does restrict what you're allowed to do in order to keep the source
> free...

Yes, it restricts your ability to distribute and your ability to create
derived works if and only if you distribute those derived works. It places
no restrictions whatsoever on use. And since it requires distributors to
place no restrictions not in the GPL, distributors cannot place *any*
restrictions on usage either.

DS