> I've heard stories where IT departments have blocked GPL software from being used (as end users, not as an integral part of a software product) due to it bein

> I've heard stories where IT departments have blocked GPL software from being used (as end users, not as an integral part of a software product) due to it being unclear where the GPL starts and ends. Those running those IT department have thus demonstrated their incompetence. The first freedom granted by all free software licenses, including the GPL (any version) is the freedom to run your programs for any purpose. As long as you don't distribute the GPL license code you're using, you're not obligated to anything. For instance, one is perfectly allowed to use GCC for the purpose of compiling proprietary software and distributing the resulting binaries. Because by doing so, you only only run GCC —you don't distribute it.