Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!bionet!ames!ncar!asuvax!mcdphx!estinc!fnf
From: fnf@estinc.UUCP (Fred Fish)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: GNU programs, copyleft (was Re: IS MT UUCP Legal??) (long)
Keywords: atari st, gnu, uucp
Message-ID: <202@estinc.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jul 89 03:15:11 GMT
References: <4456ee6c.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> <1602@atari.UUCP>
Reply-To: fnf@estinc.UUCP (Fred Fish)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc.
Lines: 30

In article <1602@atari.UUCP> apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt) writes:
>FSF (The Free Software Foundation) makes their copying and derivative-
>works policy very clear.  Selling a derivative work is not allowed by
>their guidelines.

This seems to be a common misconception.  You ARE free to sell it for
any amount of money you can find a sucker willing to pay.  But you
MUST abide by the rules of the copyleft that say you must supply
source for what you sell and cannot further restrict distribution by
the recipient.

>The file COPYING, included below, comes with most FSF stuff.  It
>describes their rights and copying policies, and works covered by it
>are known informally as "copylefted" (though they are also sometimes
>copyrighted as well).

And it supports your right to sell the code.  Below is the only
paragraph of the file that contains the word "sell":

>  When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not
>price.  Specifically, the General Public License is designed to make
>sure that you have the freedom to give away or sell copies of free
>software, that you receive source code or can get it if you want it,
>that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free
>programs; and that you know you can do these things.

-Fred
-- 
# Fred Fish, 1835 E. Belmont Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284,  USA
# 1-602-491-0048           asuvax!{nud,mcdphx}!estinc!fnf