*BSD News Article 3842


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!uunet!wupost!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!darwin.sura.net!uvaarpa!cv3.cv.nrao.edu!laphroaig!cflatter
From: cflatter@nrao.edu (Chris Flatters)
Subject: Re: Restrictions on 'free' UNIX / 386BSD (R
Message-ID: <1992Aug18.234401.2087@nrao.edu>
Sender: news@nrao.edu
Reply-To: cflatter@nrao.edu
Organization: NRAO
References: <1992Aug18.015903.8526@fcom.cc.utah.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 23:44:01 GMT
Lines: 21

In article 8526@fcom.cc.utah.edu, terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) writes:
>Does [the GPL] mean that I can't sell my own program (we'll call it '/usr/bin/true')
>for $500.00, and then give away GNU Hurd in order to run it, but don't tell
>anyone what the program is (except you all know now ;-)), offer to send source,
>like in GPL, but say they can't copy it because they can't distinguish my
>part from GNU's part?

You don't have to supply source for your own /usr/bin/true because you stuck
it in the same packet with the GNU Hurd (unless of course it is a modified
version of a GNU /usr/bin/true).  You still have to supply source for the
Hurd and you can not restrict the rights of anyone who gets the source from
you to make further copies of the Hurd source.

>Because Hurd is an OS, does this mean that *any* application that runs on it
>is a derivitive work and falls under GNU Public License?

No. Even a lawyer would think that that was silly.

	Chris Flatters
	cflatter@nrao.edu