🚀 go-pugleaf

Jason Clifford <jason@dlsl.demon.co.uk> writes:

> In article <6v5svm$2ls$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>, Bill Unruh
> <unruh@physics.ubc.ca> writes
> >The store from which I bought Civilisations charged me for "the service
> >of distributing" that software (it is called thier markup). In addition
> >they also passed on to me the charge that was made to them by the
> >distributor/publisher etc. Furthermore, the shrink wrap license tried to
> >claim explicitley that nooone had actually sold me the software at all,
> >that all rights to it still belonged to the publisher, and I could not
> >do anything with it except with the sufferance of that publisher. So,
> >again, what do you mean "selling the software">
> 
> By 'selling the software' I mean selling you a license to use the
> software. The GPL by it's nature permits for charges to be made for
> distribution services but not for the sale of 'a license to use' the
> software.

The GPL *is* a license permitting you to use the software.  From the
GPL:

   Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are
   not covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act
   of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the
   Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on
   the Program (independent of having been made by running the
   Program).  Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.

As you can see, the license explicitly grants you the right to use the
software unrestrictedly.

If you are selling GPLed software, you are also selling the right to
use the software (of course, unless you are the original author, you
would not be permitted to sell it in any other way) in the way
intended by the holder to the rights of the software.  Which is just
the same as when you are selling Microtrash software.


-- 
David Kastrup                                     Phone: +49-234-700-5570
Email: dak@neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de       Fax: +49-234-709-4209
Institut f�r Neuroinformatik, Universit�tsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany