Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3

[Alexandre Oliva <aoliva@redhat.com>]

On Jun 16, 2007, Daniel Hazelton <dhazelton@enter.net> wrote:

> On Saturday 16 June 2007 04:21:04 Alexandre Oliva wrote:
>> On Jun 16, 2007, Daniel Hazelton <dhazelton@enter.net> wrote:
>> > In the case of renting a machine you can try to legislate new laws all
>> > you want. It doesn't make a difference. There are certain rights you
>> > don't get when renting something that you do when you own it.
>> 
>> You mean renting the computer with the software in it is not
>> distribution of the software?

> It is. But you don't have the same rights to a rented machine as you
> do to one you have purchased.

That's true.  But since it's distribution, the licensing terms of the
software in there must be followed, or the software must be removed.
It's really this simple.

It's not about the hardware.  It's about the software and what you
must not prevent others from doing with it.

> And yes, they can even have terms in it that violate the GPL. Not
> that a "renters contract" ("rental agreement" or whatever they call
> them in your jurisdiction) that has those terms can *legally*
> violate the GPL - but it doesn't stop them from existing.

By "legally violate the GPL", do you mean lawfully escape the terms of
the GPL, or that infringe the copyrights of the authors for violate
its legal terms?  I hope it's the latter.

-- 
Alexandre Oliva         http://www.lsd.ic.unicamp.br/~oliva/
FSF Latin America Board Member         http://www.fsfla.org/
Red Hat Compiler Engineer   aoliva@{redhat.com, gcc.gnu.org}
Free Software Evangelist  oliva@{lsd.ic.unicamp.br, gnu.org}