🚀 go-pugleaf

Isaac wrote:
> GPLed software doesn't come with limitations on how
> many of a company's computers it can be installed on.

Yes and no.  What GPL says is:

--->
  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under
Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and
2 above provided that you also do one of the following: 

    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
    customarily used for software interchange; or,

    c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
    to distribute corresponding source code.  (This alternative is
    allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
    received the program in object code or executable form with such
    an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

  4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
parties remain in full compliance.
<---

GPL does not explicitly give you the right to even copy the executable
separately from this "copy and distribute" clause.  Thus, technically if you
want to *copy* (distribute) an executable under GPL (for example, installing
it on to a new computer), you must accompany *the copy itself* with the above
specified means to take advantage of the GPL rights to further distribution.

I have no problem with the GPL authors making an exception in the license for
corporations to copy and distribute software within their organization. 
That's a philosphical question which the GPL authors and free software
advocates generally can either support or oppose.  Frankly I don't have an
opinion myself about whether such an exception is a good idea or not, although
I suspect the defeintion of the exception needs to be *much* more complex in
practice than just "copies within a company are okay."  For example, what
about joint ventures?  What about different legal and business entities within
a larger holding company?  What about independent contractors who do work for
the company?

But I don't see this exception in the plain language of the GPL at all, as it
currently exists.