[nzlug] Re: M$ is targeting YOU

[Martin Bähr]

On Fri, Mar 23, 2007 at 09:42:20PM +1200, Nick Rout wrote:
> There is only one legal conclusion. And don't forget, as any supporter
> of the GPL must support a similar argument. Because the whole
> free/open source movement cannot survive if this argument fails. We
> have linux and all its GNU and other supporting software because
> people are bound by licenses that they accept n one way or another,
> not in spite of those licenses.

actually, i don't believe this is the case. the thing with the gpl is
that it gives you additional rights over what you would have had
otherwise. in other words: if you do not accept the gpl, you would not
even be allowed to to share it with someone else because under general
copyright law you don't have that right.

you can ignore an eula and claim that you did not have a chance to read
it, but you can not possibly share a gpl licenced program without being
aware of the license unless you live in a country where a copyright law
does not exist.

so the reverse is the case: we have free software in spite of those
licenses. in a world without copyright, the licenses would not be
needed.

greetings, martin.
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