[linux-audio-user] Re: Free Software vs. Open Source: Where do *you* stand?

[Peter Bessman]

Rob wrote:
> On Tue February 21 2006 15:08, Peter Bessman wrote:
>   
>> The fact that it's illegal to sell your vote does not prove
>> that contracts can be morally wrong.
>>     
>
> Not that the 'shrink-wrap licenses' to which Fons was referring 
> are even accepted as contracts in many venues.  I certainly 
> never had a contract with, say, Syntrillian in the bad old days 
> when I would download a pirated copy of Cool Edit Pro; the text 
> of whatever EULA they used was never even included with the 
> illicit version.  The GPL itself is also not a contract; it's a 
> license without which you can't distribute the program except by 
> violating copyright.
>
>   
Is it some sort of secret the syntrillian had a contract which you had 
to agree to in order for them to authorize your use of their software?  
That's the only way your position is defensible.  What you did was 
contributory infringement, barring the applicability of the above 
(which, obviously, I doubt).

-Pete