I'd say someone's probably put some thought into this and decided that this is the best way (or at least the best way they considered) to word it. Perhaps you can come up with a better option? 'machine readable source code' doesn't really cut it... I'll just write my app in C and distribute the assembler... I wonder if they've got an update to this wording pencilled in for the next version of the GPL?
-----Original Message----- From: David Starner [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of David Starner Sent: Friday, 27 April 2001 5:18 AM To: debian-legal@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: "Preferred form of work" Re: Keyspan Firmware fun On Thu, Apr 26, 2001 at 12:47:22PM -0600, Walter Landry wrote: > > What about if the preferred form changes? For example, you have two > > authors, one who keeps the program as a literate program and the > > other one who keeps it as straight source, and they convert it whenever > > they exchange code. Is the preferred form literate or illiterate? Can > > the literate author 'tangle' it and release it? > > The simple answer is that the code must be in the preferred form of > the person distributing the code. But where does it say that in the GPL, or in the DFSG? That has too many funky implications for me to like that answer. If A gives code to B, the whole point of free software is that B can give it to C, but B can't, because it's in her preferred form. > If a company releases the old game under the GPL, but doesn't provide > the source, then they haven't really released under the GPL. No one > will be able to distribute the game, because they can't also provide > sources. They've released the form that people have been modifying for years. It must be the preferred form, cause there is no other form. A more realistic scenario asks whether we consider it source under the DFSG. -- David Starner - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pointless website: http://dvdeug.dhis.org "I don't care if Bill personally has my name and reads my email and laughs at me. In fact, I'd be rather honored." - Joseph_Greg -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
