Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?

Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10T18:44:17Z

David,

For the simple folks like myself, please show me and everyone else where
the "contract" terms are specifically? I am having a hard time seeing
them, and they exist and real, it should be pointed out clearly.

Cheers,

Andre Hedrick
LAD Storage Consulting Group

On Wed, 10 Dec 2003, David Woodhouse wrote:

> On Wed, 2003-12-10 at 07:11 -0800, Larry McVoy wrote:
> > You may license *your* work under whatever terms you want. Those terms
> > can't extend to things that aren't your work in a copyright license.
>
> Please elaborate. We're talking about a situation in which I grant a
> licence for you to copy and use my work, in exchange for something I
> desire from you. In the absence of a contract, this is limited to me
> effectively saying "You may copy and use my work if and only if you do
> XXX".
>
> If you do not do 'XXX' then you may not use my work.
>
> Are you saying that there are things which I may not ask for? Could you
> elaborate?
>
> Certainly criminal law prohibits me from actually inciting you to murder
> by really asking for the sacrifice of your first-born; I'll grant you
> that one.
>
> But what's wrong with postcardware, where I ask you to send me a
> postcard in exchange for permission to use my work?
>
> What's wrong with shareware, where you have permission to copy my work
> and use it for evaluation purposes, but you're asked to pay me if you
> continue to use it?
>
> What's wrong with a licence which requires you to bathe daily in
> creosote in order to receive my permission?
>
> What's wrong with a licence on my software which requires you to
> relinquish copyright on any musical score you ever write?
>
> What's wrong with a licence which requires you to release any unrelated
> software you ever write under the same licence?
>
> It may be increasingly unlikely that you'll _accept_ some of the above
> licences, but there's no fundamental problem with them.
>
> > You need a contract to do that and even then there are limits to what
> > you can do.
>
> I need a contract to force you to do anything; this is true.
>
> Without a contract, all I can do if you don't abide by my conditions is
> observe that you don't have my permission to copy my work, and hence
> that if you do so you are committing a criminal offence.
>
> --
> dwmw2
>
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>