This is true, as long as the "author" is a single person or someone who has been assigned the rights to all the code by everyone else who has contributed. If y

This is true, as long as the "author" is a single person or someone who has been assigned the rights to all the code by everyone else who has contributed. If you are releasing work on a (A/L)GPL project you started, but others contributed to without giving you other rights, you can't distribute their contributions without releasing the source. Not trying to excuse this demand, just pointing out the technicalities. The most important point in my eyes is that with no evidence of intent to keep the source concealed for a significant amount of time, the idea that anyone would pursue a complaint under the GPL in this situation is nonsense. It should have been "When will a source release for this be available", but the user decided to be an asshole instead and make a demand by invoking the license—even if this was required, it was stupid in context.