Open Source application GPL legality

[David A. Temeles, Jr.]

John Cowan said: "If you own the copyright on the software, you can release
it under any license you please.  That's what it means to own something: you
can set any conditions you like on others' use of it."

DAT replies:  This is not always true.  Some restrictions constitute
copyright misuse.



-----Original Message-----
From: John Cowan [mailto:cowan at ccil.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:22 AM
To: shd
Cc: license-discuss at opensource.org
Subject: Re: Open Source application GPL legality

shd scripsit:

> The question is - can I share my application released on GPL license at 
> the same time dynamically obfuscating and morphing an executable file 
> with *not shared* utility? Result would be - client + server are both 
> open source, but if someone wants to stay connected with *my* server he 
> has to use concrete (my) compilation from.

If you own the copyright on the software, you can release it under any
license you please.  That's what it means to own something: you can set
any conditions you like on others' use of it.

-- 
John Cowan           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan            cowan at ccil.org
One of the oil men in heaven started a rumor of a gusher down in hell.  All
the other oil men left in a hurry for hell.  As he gets to thinking about
the rumor he had started he says to himself there might be something in
it after all.  So he leaves for hell in a hurry.    --Carl Sandburg