*BSD News Article 88506


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From: Timothy Watson <tmwatson@umich.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: GPL
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 08:23:05 -0500
Organization: University of Michigan
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Holger Veit wrote:
> request that developers must release their intellectual property (and it
> is at least partly an own work for the modified parts) if they use certain
> *published* work. It is a matter of debating how much parts need to be

BUT IT IS NOT A *PUBLISHED* work in the sense that is is public domain.
GPL'D software is just as rights-reserved as if AT&T was selling their
source code. If ANY part of a product that a German company sold could
be shown to derive from AT&T source code, in violation of the conditions
of sale/use of the code, then the company would be liable. The GPL is
simply a condition of what constitutes a fair use. (Agree or don't use
it) - Or is a
little cheating the flavor of the month in Germany?
-Tim WAtson