• 0 Posts
  • 9 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
cake
Cake day: June 18th, 2023

help-circle









  • The GPL only applies to those that get the software that it is applied to. So if I sell you a program FooBar v3.2 under the GPL you have the right to get the source code for FooBar v3.2, which RedHat still does.

    But FooCorp only sells you FooBar if you agree to their license, which is independent of the GPL. And should you breach the terms of FooCorps license (redestributing the source of any program they provided you) they cancel your license and can refuse to sell you any further versions of FooBar.

    The GPL in this case is still in tact since you can still request the source for FooBar v3.2 and you can do anything you want with it, just the part of redestributing it violates FooCorps license and they refuse to sell you v3.3. But you can still request the source of v3.2 even after the FooCorp license breach.

    So… the GPL in technicality is not violated at all (to my knowledge) but maybe in spirit it somewhat is, due to if you want to exercise all the Rights the GPL gives you, you would have to breach FooCorps license.