On Fri, 2003-02-28 at 15:39, Steve Langasek wrote: > On Fri, Feb 28, 2003 at 03:04:10PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote: > > > Furthermore, a broad interpretation of 2c would be inconsistent with the > > way most FSF programs actually work. The stuff in GNU coreutils doesn't > > generally spew a copyright notice and warranty disclaimer to standard > > output or standard error when these programs are are run for their > > typical uses; otherwise normal shell sessions would be awash in legal > > notices and we'd need 100,000 lines of scrollback in our terminals just > > so we could get some work done. > > I also think the PHP-Nuke interpretation is broader than what the GPL > itself permits. 2c says: > > 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 [...] > > If a web-based CMS constitutes "interactive use" in any fashion, I would > argue that this could only be so inasmuch as we consider clicking on links > within the website to be part of a single interactive session, because > otherwise you have a number of one-shot calls that are not interactive at > all. Furthermore, "the most ordinary way" for beginning an interactive > session is by starting at the index page and drilling down. So as I see > it, the worst case is that the GPL could require you to display the > copyright/warranty announcement on the entry page of the web app, but > nothing more.
This seems reasonable to me. > The PHP-Nuke author has demanded more than this, however; that's his > prerogative, but I think this puts PHP-Nuke into the same category as > pine where the copyright holder's exceptional interpretation has rendered > an otherwise free license non-free. Yes, but perhaps he could be convinced to go to the version you propose above. I would add my voice to that. -- -Dave Turner Stalk Me: 617 441 0668 "On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock." -Thomas Jefferson
