What good is VNC's GPL?

[Kyle McDonald]

Mark Jacobs wrote:

> 
> Has anyone managed to get the source code off of these guys? If not, 
> *that* is what they are doing wrong, just like SmartCode would not give 
> out their source code, even though it should be exactly the same as the 
> code that you can request from Wez himself. GPL means you must release 
> the source on request, otherwise you cannot claim it is GPL. If you 
> cannot claim it is GPL, then you cannot use that GPL source code in your 
> product. Therefore, it is clear-cut, and there is no ambiguity here. 
> Both companies *owe* us the source code, and we should be able to email 
> them once, and get it.
>
Actually, I think you're wrong about them 'oweing' us anything.

The GPL states that they only have to offer, and provide the 
sources to the people they distribute the binaries to. This means 
theonly people that are 'owed' the sources are the paying customers.

Of course once a paying customer has the source the GPL let's them 
do whatever they want with it. So they can give it away for 
no-cost if they like and the person they bought it from can't say 
a thing. (and they shouldn't come under any reprisals from the 
seller for doing so, but that seems to be ignored by the FSF in at 
least one case - www.sveasoft.com )

But they *don't have to* give the source to us just because we ask.

	-Kyle


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