🚀 go-pugleaf

edguer@charlie.CES.CWRU.Edu (Aydin Edguer) writes:
> In article <1991Jul2.183339.3838@beaver.cs.washington.edu> pauld@stowe.cs.was
> >                         [...] Note I said source code - not stuff from
> > the libraries, but perhaps something like taking gcc's parser, ripping
> > it out and using it for something else. If I charge time+materials to
> > a client for this, am I ripping of the original author of the parser,
> > or simply making good use of their work ? 
> 
> You may also be making good use of their work.  But unless you give back
> something to the author, you are ripping the author off by charging someone
> else for the authors labor without reimbursing the author.

But the author does not want reimbursment.  If he did, he would not have
released his software under the GPL.

> No, using copyrighted code does not necessarily make one financially
> indebted, but it does make one _intellectually_ indebted.  You are using
> the ideas and creativity of others and have a responsibility to give
> them something in exchange.

So if I use GNU software -- for example, if I use Emacs to write a document
-- I have a responsibility to release some of my programs as GNUware in order
to "give them something in exchange"?

If not, then why is it different if I make use of the source code of Emacs
rather than the executable code?


mathew