4 ms·
> It cannot be used by those who do not accept the license. This is wrong. You don't have to accept the terms of the GPL if you use a program, only if you dist
by MaxBarraclough 7y ago
> It cannot be used by those who do not accept the license.
This is wrong. You don't have to accept the terms of the GPL if you use a program, only if you distribute and/or modify it. https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/2867/ https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/2867/
From the text of the GPLv3: You are not required to accept this License in order to receive or run a copy of the Program.
The Affero GPL is unusual, but even there, you don't have to accept the licence merely to run a program.
> If they do accept it, it limits their rights to use, modify and redistribute the software within limits spelled out in the license.
Again, no, it doesn't restrict the right to use.
> Most people here refuse to understand that "freedom" can't be given by a license. It can stay the same, or become restricted (when a license imposes a duty or obligation on the licensee).
That's wrong. You don't have rights to use/study/distribute/modify/modify+distribute software unless the software is in the public domain, or if those rights are actively granted to you by a licence.
If you happen to stumble across some source code, and it's still under copyright, and there's no licence, then you have no right to it. Same goes if you find an unfinished novel. This is why GitHub took steps to encourage people to add a clearly stated licence to their projects.
If you want to make the case for permissive BSD-style licences being 'more free' than copyleft licences, then sure, that's a debate we could have, but freedom absolutely is given by licences.
> how is it ethical to attempt to restrict another person's freedom?
Banning kidnapping and slavery increases the total freedom in a country. Copyleft operates on a similar principle, prohibiting people from taking Free software and using it as the basis for non-Free software.
The copyleft-vs-permissive-licence debate I mentioned above, is as old as Free Software. Here's an old Slashdot thread where the usual points are made: https://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/12/17/1735253/gpl-copyleft-use-declining-fast https://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/12/17/1735253/gpl-c...