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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!uunet!in1.uu.net!165.87.194.248!news-m01.ny.us.ibm.net!news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net!not-for-mail From: mouth@ibm.net (Mouth of the South) 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 Lines: 24 Message-ID: <O1o9y0gTzDkG091yn@ibm.net> References: <32DFFEAB.7704@usa.net> <5clgth$et2@qnx.com> <5cokjc$amq@web.nmti.com> <nVV8y0gTzX9Y091yn@ibm.net> <5ctv9v$ser@cynic.portal.ca> <D3P9y0gTzXhE091yn@ibm.net> <32F51B8F.167EB0E7@freebsd.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: slip129-37-195-144.nc.us.ibm.net Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:157438 comp.os.linux.networking:67931 comp.os.linux.setup:96497 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2435 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy:52446 comp.os.os2.advocacy:266920 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!