Re: GNU licenses

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   > And thus you are bound by the license, since the license is a
   > extention of copyright law.

   It seems to me that we read "being bound by the license"
   differently.

   The license is not a contract, and even if it was, I don't need to
   accept it.

Depends on the specific license, if you do not accept the GNU GPL,
then you are not allowed by law to distribute and/or modify the
program.  See section 5.

   I can completely ignore the license, and not be any worse off than
   if it didn't apply.

If you completely ignore the license, then you completely ignore the
law.

   The only restrictions placed on me is by copyright law.

And copyright law doesn't allow you to `completely ignore the license'
if you wish to use the work.

   Failing to comply with the conditions of the GPL is not illegal and
   you cannot be sued for license violation, since it's not a license
   you are bound to comply to.

Wrong.  See section 5.  Not complying with the GNU GPL is a violation
of the law, and you can be sued accordingly.