On Thursday 22 February 2007 11:08, Mike Miller wrote: > On Thu, 22 Feb 2007, Josh Paetzel wrote: > > How about cisco? Well, they don't distribute their software > > either. They sell devices that run their software. Let's take a > > look at the GPL itself: > > > > Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are > > not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act > > of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the > > Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based > > on the Program (independent of having been made by running the > > Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does. > > > > How about the software that runs (choose your embedded device > > here) your microwave. Can you get the source code for that, even > > though it's based on linux? Of course not. The manufacturer of > > the microwave isn't distributing their software, they are simply > > selling a device that runs their software. > > That is a surprising interpretation. I don't agree with it. By > selling microwaves, the seller is *distributing* *copies* of the > software encoded within it. The format is irrelevant -- HDD, > firmware, floppy, CD, etc. Thus, because selling microwaves > involved distributing and copying the modified GPL software, and > not just running the programs, the software on the microwave (or > other embedded devices) is covered by the GPL. > > If you have a source that contradicts my claim, please share it. > > Mike I don't need a source do I? The fact that it's done with inpunity seems to back it up. When you sell a microwave are you distributing software in any sense of the word? You're distributing a piece of hardware that happens to have some (rather inaccessable) software running in it....if you read the GPL, especially the part I quoted, you'll notice 'running software' is not covered by the GPL. I think you are the one that needs to provide extrodinary proof, either with court records of cisco paying out because they are breaking the GPL, or perhaps providing me with a copy of the software running on every embedded device running a derivative of linux in your house (hint, there's more of them then you probably think) -- Thanks, Josh Paetzel