Wired Article on the GPL

Nils Lohner lohner at hew.ecf.teradyne.com
Thu Mar 30 21:06:02 UTC 2000


In message <20000330110655.J594 at perlsupport.com>, Chip Salzenberg writes:
>According to John Cowan:
>> Chip Salzenberg wrote:
>> > In other words, the license adheres to the code, not the author.
>> 
>> A license that isn't a contract (a bare permission) can be freely
>> revoked by the licensor, as in an invitation to enter onto land: if
>> the landowner changes his mind, the licensee instantly becomes a
>> trespasser.
>
>*shock*  *dismay*
>
>I never thought I'd say this, but:  'Only UCITA can save us now.'

This does not make sense.  If I bought the software, and the license is 
changed afterwards, I have to abide by a new license?  I would argue that I 
should have to abide by the license under which I bought it as I have never 
had a chance to acept or reject the other license.  Use your imagination to 
add some fun clauses to new license :)  Somehow this does not seem logical, 
reasonable, etc.

Nils.





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