Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!east!tjp!jpainter
From: jpainter@tjp.East.Sun.COM (John Painter - Sun BOS Hardware)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: libg++ and copylefts
Message-ID: <620@east.East.Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Jul 89 18:16:47 GMT
References: <53@eileen.mga.com> <6590215@hplsla.HP.COM>
Sender: news@east.East.Sun.COM
Reply-To: jpainter@tjp.East.Sun.COM (John Painter - Sun BOS Hardware)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Billerica MA
Lines: 36

Regarding CopyLeft (by the way is that trademarked or in the PD? trademarking it could
provide amusement to FSF hasslers)  The following are MY views on the problem:

 1) Use FSF software and play by thier rules

 2) Ignore thier rules and hope FSFs legal budget is small

 3) Use FSF code generators that do not include code written by FSF
    contributors in output (a compilers output is NOT a derivitive
    work of the compiler authors)

 3a) Write your own libs/parsers to go with part 3

 4) Link your code to thiers on the customers time (to avoid part 1) and
    provide FSF sources but not yours (requires part 2 for fewest hassels)

 5) Provide your source in say Kansas City standard audio cassette format.
    (or any other equally obscure form.  Say barcode on microfiche, etc ...)

 6) Hire a GOOD lawyer to talk to their lawyer and work something out before
    committing to parts 1-5

I personnally would reccomend only part 6 to anyone with anything to lose 
and part 1 for most others.  Part 2 probably holds true given what they are
trying to do, but truley takes unfair advantage (and may influence a court in
decisions against you) 

By the way ... A copyright holder also has rights to the derivitive works 
based on his work, so FSF can not apply copyleft (CopyLeft (r)?) to works
the author has copyrighted but allowed to be used freely by the public 
(copycorrect?) PD software is just that and FSF can do with it what they want
without obligation to anyone.  

I am not a lawyer.  comp.legal is a GREAT idea.

/Tjp