On Tue, Aug 17, 2004 at 09:27:27PM -0400, Raul Miller wrote: > On Tue, Aug 17, 2004 at 03:34:28PM -0400, Glenn Maynard wrote: > > I don't think I've said anything new or strange about the GPL--it causes > > rewriting, it's designed to do so, and I think it's fair to acknowledge > > that. > > The GPL tends to cause rewriting to be done earlier than otherwise. > > Copyright law causes the rewriting.
No. Copyright law only causes things if copyright holders cause it to (or fails to give any license at all). The GPL's copyright terms deliberately force rewriting in as many cases as possible, above and beyond most other free software licenses. I've been in situations where every piece of software in use was GPL- compatible, but contractual terms or other circumstances prevent following it. I guess you'd then say "contract law causes the rewriting". I just can't agree with constantly shifting the cause of the rewriting away from the GPL, even though the GPL is *specifically* designed to cause it. (Again, to be clear, I'm not trying to blacken the GPL, here: it does cause rewriting, but it does so with good intent and in fact, very often, with good results.) -- Glenn Maynard
