Alexander Cherepanov writes: > Look, it explicitly mentions "a work containing the Program". The > language is probably not ideal but it's crystal clear that "work based > on the Program" is intended to mean _any_ work containing some part of > the original work, be it a derived work, a compilation, or just a > non-creative transformation. Even "the Program" itself is included in > the definition of a "work based on the Program".
Yes, and again, the GPL exempts "mere aggregation" -- whatever that means. Otherwise, a Debian CD image would violate the GPL because it is a work containing the Program, and parts of it would be under GPL-incompatible (but DFSG-free) licenses. Some people disagree with Linus that inclusion as a binary blob is mere aggregation. However, five years passed between the first binary blob that I know of and the first complaint that I know of (setting aside the other issues with that complaint); that suggests that a fair number of kernel developers agree with Linus or at least accept his opinion on it. Michael
