Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!jima
From: jima@hplsla.HP.COM (Jim Adcock)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: libg++ and copylefts
Message-ID: <6590216@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 25 Jul 89 17:02:12 GMT
References: <53@eileen.mga.com>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 26

>Do you think FSF shouldn't be able to copyleft improvements
>they write?

I don't think anyone ought to be able to copyright/left trivial derivations
of someone else's work.  All this is plagiarism.  All this does is cloud
ownership. 

This is different from making a substantially different work based on someone's
initial efforts.  I have no problem with that.

Examples of trivial derivations:  

Just adding your copyright/left to someone else's work.
Fixing a few bugs, then adding your copyright/left.
Adding a few functions, then adding your copyright/left.
Modifying software to run on a different compiler, or machine, then adding
  your copyright/left.
Glomming together several chunks of software, then adding your copyright/left.
Adding an overriding copyright over a complete work of software, part of
  which is PD, or copyleft, or someone else's work.

Again, if we are ever going to be able to share software, people must
not take actions that cloud the ownership or origins of software.  To
be able to reuse software, users must be able to figure out who wrote the
software, and what the restrictions [if any] there are on its use.
Trivial derivations and other forms of plagiarism prevent this.