Matthew Garrett writes: > Michael Poole <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>The QPL doesn't release you from the obligation to provide changes to >>the author if you have since stopped distributing the software (for >>whatever reason). That clause applies to *any* time at which the code >>is not available to the general public. It would be plausible for an >>SCO or Microsoft to demand that a Debian package maintainer provide a >>three-year-old version of a package because Debian users downloaded >>that modified version. > > I'm not convinced that applies. The clase is "These items, when > distributed, are subject to the following requirements" - what does > "when distributed" mean? At the point at which they are distributed? If > distributed once, these must always occur? 6a and 6b sound like they > only apply at the time of distribution.
So could you satisfy the QPL's requirements by making the modified source code available once a binary download starts, and deleting it as soon as that download completes? At some point a judge will look at intent of 6c, and at that point it becomes a lawyerbomb, since "when" can mean either "at the time of" or "once." Michael
