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Re: Cygnus Cygwin32 Press Release 1/21/97


In message <xd914u536l.fsf@andros.cygnus.com>, Stan Shebs
<shebs@cygnus.com> writes
>Jeremy had it pretty accurate, but "commercial" is not entirely
>relevant.  Technically, if you use the GPLed library in a freeware
>app, then you would have to make the app's sources available upon
>request to anyone you gave the binary to (note: not to just anyone,
>just those that *you* gave it to).

That may have been the intent of the GPL but it is *not* what the GPL
actually says.
>  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
>under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
>Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
>
>    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
>    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
>    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software
>interchange; or,
>
>    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
>    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
>    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
>    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
>    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
>    customarily used for software interchange; or,
3c omitted (it deals with noncommercial distribution)

The key phrase is 'any third party'. This could be interpreted as
meaning you must give anyone who asks a copy.

It is irrelevant that this could be a wrong interpretation, companies
must take the most pessimistic interpretation of the licence.


-- 
Paul Shirley
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