Re: [LINUX-ABIT] Re: ABIT -- GENTUS Linux Steals GPL CODE AGAIN!!

From: James Sutherland (jas88@cam.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Jun 07 2000 - 11:24:46 EST


On 7 Jun 2000, Benny Amorsen wrote:

> >>>>> "JS" == James Sutherland <jas88@cam.ac.uk> writes:
>
> JS> If the kernel I'm using drops off the face of the earth, but I
> JS> continue distributing it, I need to provide the sources myself;
> JS> providing a (working!) URL to the source I used should be
> JS> adequate, though? If the URL I'm using disappears, I need to
> JS> find/create another one, of course, but that shouldn't happen...
>
> Ok, take a look at the actual license. Any Linux system should contain
> lots of copies of it.

I have done.

(snip)
> Abit clearly did not do that.
> As far as I know no such offer was given.
> "Only for noncommercial distribution". What Abit is doing is not
> noncommercial.
>
> This means that even if Abit distributed binaries compiled from
> completely unmodified sources, or even distributed binaries copied
> verbatim from say RedHat, they would still be in violation of the
> license.

I'm not talking about Abit specifically, my point is that the GPL is
excessively restrictive. For example, it prevents me from distributing a
pre-built emergency repair disk; WTF does this achieve??

James.

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