From: Francesco Poli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:53:35 +0000 Gervase Markham wrote:
[about the "don't remove get_source feature"] > - The requirement to not remove certain particular code is > probably non-free;
I don't think it's forbidding to remove the code: it's merely forbidding to drop a feature.
You could reimplement it in a better (or even worse) way, but you must support it.
Then if my reimplementation has a bug that prevents it from working properly, I may be accused of infringement?
Anyway I agree it's non-free.
Then you may be surprised to hear that the GPLv2 does have a "don't remove this feature" clause:
c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively when run, you must cause it, when started running for such interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
I'd even read this as saying "if the original program isn't interactive, but the modified one is, you must _add_ that feature".
Gerardo Ballabio
