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The GPL actually has a clause agaisnt revocation in section 2: All rights granted under this License are granted for the term of copyright on the Progr

by jordigh 12y ago

The GPL actually has a clause agaisnt revocation in section 2: All rights granted under this License are granted for the term of copyright on the Program, and are irrevocable provided the stated conditions are met. How does France work against this?

rwmj 12y ago
I happen to know about this "France problem" because for a while it affected the OCaml distribution (it has now been resolved by some French-specific legal wrangle). I don't know how this affects the GPL specifically, but you can be pretty sure that if the GPL doesn't contain France-specific French-language legalese to work around it, then it's likely to be revokable whatever the license says. Of course this only affects you if you're in France or have French contributors.
Tomte 12y ago
France doesn't need to "work against this". If that's the law in France, it trumps the license text. Just as the law trumps any clause requiring the sacrifice of the licensee's firstborn on an altar.
- Moyamo 12y ago
  Doesn't this make it illegal to distribute GPL software in France under clause 12? If conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot convey a covered work so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not convey it at all. Since allowing the licensor to revoke the licence would be an extra condition.
  - masklinn 12y ago
    It doesn't make the distribution illegal per-se, but it does make the license invalid and thus the software unlicensed. Same as "public domain" licensing.
    - Matheus28 12y ago
      No it doesn't. If you don't have a license for the software, you cannot use it.

by jordigh 12y ago

rwmj 12y ago

I happen to know about this "France problem" because for a while it affected the OCaml distribution (it has now been resolved by some French-specific legal wrangle). I don't know how this affects the GPL specifically, but you can be pretty sure that if the GPL doesn't contain France-specific French-language legalese to work around it, then it's likely to be revokable whatever the license says. Of course this only affects you if you're in France or have French contributors.

Tomte 12y ago

France doesn't need to "work against this". If that's the law in France, it trumps the license text. Just as the law trumps any clause requiring the sacrifice of the licensee's firstborn on an altar.

Moyamo 12y ago
Doesn't this make it illegal to distribute GPL software in France under clause 12? If conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot convey a covered work so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not convey it at all. Since allowing the licensor to revoke the licence would be an extra condition.
- masklinn 12y ago
  It doesn't make the distribution illegal per-se, but it does make the license invalid and thus the software unlicensed. Same as "public domain" licensing.
  - Matheus28 12y ago
    No it doesn't. If you don't have a license for the software, you cannot use it.