Corel: No "internal" exemption in GPL

Forrest J. Cavalier III mibsoft at mibsoftware.com
Wed Sep 22 13:20:35 UTC 1999


 From:          Justin Wells <jread at fever.semiotek.com>

> I am worried that people seem to be getting the idea that if you 
> use something for "internal development" you are somehow exempt from 
> the conditions of the GPL, so long as you keep it inside your company.
> 
As I read it, the GPL does not require that internal development
copies be published.

The issue is whether the "you" (the licensee) refers to a human 
individual or the corporation, and whether keeping it inside
your company counts as "distribution" as per GPL 2b.

I think it is appropriate to consider the corporation the
licensee (and this is the common legal convention, is it not?),
and copies which circulate internal to a company are not the
same as distributed copies.

Do you understand the GPL differently?




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