Re: The worst that can happen to GPLed code

[Stefaan A Eeckels]

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 13:06:30 +0200
Alexander Terekhov <terekhov@web.de> wrote:

> I say that in the scenario below I lawfully own ten copies of GNU 
> readline and I have never assented to the GPL. David says tha I 
> own "None" and that the GNU web site "broadcasts" software tarballs
> (kind of Television < ha ha >). Who's correct? TIA.

Both of you are correct. For the purposes of copies as 
defined by the (United States) copyright statute, you
have made ten copies (why you bothered to download them
beats me). For the purposes of the (United States)
first-sale doctrine, you don't own anything, as it refers
to the physical medium that holds the copyrighted work.
If you would have bought 10 CDs from the FSF, then you'd
own ten copies you could sell or destroy at your pleasure.

Take care,

-- 
Stefaan
-- 
"What is stated clearly conceives easily."  -- Inspired sales droid