Open source shareware?

[Chris Gehlker]

On 11/8/01 10:51 PM, "Chris D. Sloan" <cds at cs.hmc.edu> wrote:

> As I understand it, John was not saying that the person who buys a CD
> with a copy of Linux (or whatever) now owns a copyright or anything
> like that, but that they own the copy of the data itself.
> 
> Similarly, I own many books.  Some of them I bought, some were given
> to me, it doesn't really matter how I got them.  My ownership of the
> book does not in anyway invalidate the rights of the copyright holder
> under the copyright law, nor does it grant me additional rights over
> those I received under copyright law.
> 
> Chris, if you are claiming that I don't own my copy of Linux on a CD
> that I bought, who do you believe does?  What distinction are you
> trying to draw?
> 
> I can understand that some companies try to "sell" you software
> without you actually ending up owning anything in the process (except
> possibly certain rights), but I don't think that most open source
> licenses work that way.

I think I understand the distinction that you are trying to make. I can sell
my book to the used book store. I suppose that I can make 20 copies and keep
them in a drawer as long as I don't try to sell them or give them away.

And I guess I have heard that the some shrink wrap licenses may try to
prevent you from selling your copy or making more than one backup. I don't
read them very carefully because, to the best of my knowledge, they aren't
binding where I live.

I guess John's statement was a little strong and I missed his point. There
may be a distinction in who owns the media.
-- 
When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm
beginning to believe it. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (1857-1938)


--
license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3