Andre Cameron said: > Emmanuel Seyman wrote: > >>On Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 08:45:51AM -0600, Guy Fraser wrote: >> >> >>>My responce was to RHEL, which you have to pay for. >>> >>> >> >>Yes but it's still GPL so Maynard's point is valid. >> >>Emmanuel >> >> > If it is all still under GPL dont they have to offer a copy for free at > all times on everything? Hmmm..... Free as in Free Speech, not free as in free beer (see below). Besides, not all of the RHEL distrobution is licensed under the GPL. http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html Does the GPL allow me to sell copies of the program for money? Yes, the GPL allows everyone to do this. The right to sell copies is part of the definition of free software. Except in one special situation, there is no limit on what price you can charge. (The one exception is the required written offer to provide source code that must accompany binary-only release.) If I distribute GPL'd software for a fee, am I required to also make it available to the public without a charge? No. However, if someone pays your fee and gets a copy, the GPL gives them the freedom to release it to the public, with or without a fee. For example, someone could pay your fee, and then put her copy on a web site for the general public. I just found out that a company has a copy of a GPL'ed program, and it costs money to get it. Aren't they violating the GPL by not making it available on the Internet? No. The GPL does not require anyone to use the Internet for distribution. It also does not require anyone in particular to redistribute the program. And (outside of one special case), even if someone does decide to redistribute the program sometimes, the GPL doesn't say he has to distribute a copy to you in particular, or any other person in particular. What the GPL requires is that he must have the freedom to distribute a copy to you if he wishes to. Once the copyright holder does distribute a copy program to someone, that someone can then redistribute the program to you, or to anyone else, as he sees fit. -- William Hooper -- Shrike-list mailing list Shrike-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/shrike-list
