*BSD News Article 88856


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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: Linux vs whatever
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 1997 20:13:50 -0500
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In article <32F51B8F.167EB0E7@freebsd.org>,
"John S. Dyson" <dyson@freebsd.org> wrote:

>Under GPL you only have to redistribute source code to those that
>you have given object code to.  Of course, the recipient of your
>source code CAN redistribute the source code of the derived works.
>But they will want to maintain good relations with their supplier,

For a recepient to redistribute the supplier's source code is hardly
damaging to the supplier if the supplier willingly derived their work
from GPLed code in the first place.  What real and substantial basis
would there be for the supplier to complain?

>so it is not always likely that the customer (who receives the
>source) is going to bother to redistribute it (it is a cost/benefit
>tradeoff for them.)  The customer becomes the 'hoarder' then :-).

But if the code is sufficiently worthwhile that more than a handful of
users obtain it, it won't take long for the newly derived source code to
make its first appearance and begin to circulate.

Not only is GPL a self replicating machine, it's also a perpetual motion
machine.  What a concept!