Is this OK with the GPL?

[Peter D. Stout]

Christopher Faylor wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 05, 2003 at 08:36:30AM +0000, John Morrison wrote:
> 
>>On Tue, 4 Mar 2003, Christopher Faylor wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, Mar 04, 2003 at 08:48:02PM -0000, John Morrison wrote:
>>>
>>>><http://www.microcross.com/Products/Upgrade/upgrade.html>
>>>>
>>>><quote>
>>>>New Windows Installers
>>>>   * Safely install Cygwin with its environment automatically
>>>>     configured for Windows OS machines.
>>>>   * The Uninstaller features cleanup of registry settings and
>>>>     environment variables.
>>>>   * All toolsuites are consistent (Stout?s Law) in how you install them.
>>>></quote>
>>>>
>>>>With all the comments wrt GPL and licensing...
>>>
>>>Am I correct in assuming that you'd have to buy the product to find out?
>>>They are under no obligation to give anything away, but if they provide
>>>binaries, they surely must also provide sources.
>>
>>Yeah, you have to buy it.  They do a 30 day demo, surely that can't
>>come with source!?  Wonder how GPL deals with that.
> 
> 
> I think the GPL is pretty clear.  If you give someone a binary, you have
> to give them the source.  There is no "out" for a 30 day demo.
> 

The following paragraph is from 
<http://www.microcross.com/Products/Copying/copying.html>:

Microcross provides registered customers source code upon request and 
distributes it on a separate CD-ROM with no copy/duplication 
restrictions as required by the Free Software Foundation and the General 
Public License (GPL).  There is a nominal charge of $50 to cover CD-ROM 
duplication and shipping fees. Contact Microcross for details.

Even if they consider demo customers as "registered" customers, which I 
would guess they do not, $50 seems a bit of a stretch for a "nominal 
fee" for distributing source.

> 
>>(Please note I'm not trying to make trouble, just curious!)
> 
> 
> I know.  Licensing issues are always trouble, though.  :-(
> 
> cgf
> 



--
Unsubscribe info:      http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple
Bug reporting:         http://cygwin.com/bugs.html
Documentation:         http://cygwin.com/docs.html
FAQ:                   http://cygwin.com/faq/