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Please consider learning to edit the header.

In article <MIB.93Jan8191428@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
mib@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell) writes:

>In article <1993Jan8.170541.19119@husc3.harvard.edu>
>zeleny@husc10.harvard.edu (Michael Zeleny) writes:

MZ:
>>Sure they can, -- insofar as they explicitly reserve the right to
>>revise the terms of the GPL, which is copyrighted in their corporate
>>name, all they would have to do, is add yet another restrictive clause
>>on the copying and modification of their software.

MIB:
>This is not so.  The copyright notice used on the software says:
>
>  GNU Tar is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
>  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
>  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
>  any later version.
>
>Even if a later version of the GPL (say version 3) does the nasty
>thing you suggest, you can still distribute under the terms of GPL
>version 2.  "Version 2 of the GPL" is a static, unalterable, legal
>document.  The later publication of a version 3 does not somehow
>magically change the wording of version 2.

This is correct, but you could still restrict the GPL, and follow by
licensing subsequent releases under the new version thereof, leaving
the dreaded software hoarders with nought but obsolete "free" software.

Regarding the touchy issue of magic changes of existing documents, I
advise you to ask Stallman about the contents of the original, pre-FSF
text of "The GNU Manifesto".  Better yet, go to the library and look
it up.

MIB:
>Moreover, changing the GPL in such a way would violate the terms of
>the assignments people have made when donating sofwtare to the FSF.
>(This is a legal transfer of copyright; merely GPL-ing does not cause
>such a transfer.)  Those assignments guarantee to the author that the
>FSF will distribute under terms essentially like those of the GPL.

The ramifications of the alleged terms of copyright assignments are a
private matter, which concerns no one but you and the authors of the
donated software; hence, unlike the GPL, the contracts in question are
not subject to public scrutiny; consequently you must forgive me for
not paying too much attention to your claim.

>--
>Michael I. Bushnell      |     Watch, for you do not know when the master of 
>+1 617 625 4518 (H)     -+-    the house will come, in the evening, or at
>+1 617 253 8568 (W)      |     midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, 
>mib@gnu.ai.mit.edu       |     lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

cordially,
mikhail zeleny@husc.harvard.edu
"Le cul des femmes est monotone comme l'esprit des hommes."