May 23, 2003

SCO on its linux sales and how the GPL is to its advantage

Scariest legalese:

"The GPL, by its terms, only applies to software programs or works which contain a notice "placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the terms of this General Public License. (emphasis by him)

"The following rules follow from this provision of the GPL:


To the extent a developer who contributes code is not the actual "copyright holder" of the code (i.e., instances of pirated code) as defined by the GPL.
To the extent a developer contributes code to which he claims copyright, but it is in fact an unauthorized (sic) derivative work of a properly copyrighted software, the open source developer does not actually own the copyright and is therefore not the "copyright holder" as defined by the GPL.

"In other words, the GPL itself covers situations where code is improperly or accidentally contributed to the GPL without proper authorization (sic) of the true copyright holder."


I'm off for a Holiday weekend of sun, reading and swimming. Back on Monday.


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