10 Apr
2004
10 Apr
'04
11:03 a.m.
On Sat, 2004-04-10 at 15:18, Simon Jenkins wrote:
Marek Peteraj wrote:
There's no obligation to make the object/executeable generally available.
There is as the the name of the GPL implies. See my previous (longer)
post.
I think it's common misunderstanding of the GPL that a company only has
to make the GPLed sw available only to its customers.
It's technically possible, imagine a situation where the company
wouldn't provide d/ls of the software being used in their product. In
that case, the company would distribute(in the product!) the executable
with the product only to its customers. But that again doesn't mean that
only customers be allowed to ask for the source-code in case of a given
written offer.
The important thing to keep in mind is, if you provide d/l of the
software which is GPLed means it should be available to anyone who views
the site which offers that, hence 'any third party', 'general public'.
Again, see my previous post to see why this is important.
Please
help me out with this: I thought we just had to make the sources
available (they will be available on our or via our web site), return
any changes we make to the developers (we haven't changed much but we
have contributed back to the Wine project, for instance), and not change
or remove the copyright notices from the source (which of course we
won't).
The safest bet is to do the following:
1. Don't restrict access to object/executable
and also provide a download for corresponding source-code
at the same place on the website
(by doing that you'll be providing it to any third party and
accompanying it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
source-code on the website)
Distribute it to as many or as few people as you
like.
Right, but you raised an important point here. The case of GPLed
software being used in a product. If no CD with the software is
provided, then the GPL license should accompany the product in a printed
form, either included in the manuals with a wirtten offer or separately.
At least in that case.
Marek
2. Also either include the source-code on a CD
shipped with the product
which contains the object/executable that is run in the product(or make
a written offer where it can't be missed, which is harder), or if you
don't ship such CD, make a written offer in the manuals.
Yes: Distribute the source, or a written offer to provide the source
code, valid
for three years. (If you also make the source available by FTP then
maybe nobody
will ever order a physical copy).
But also (important):
3. A copy of the GPL licence itself must accompany the executeable!