[MPlayer-dev-eng] KiSS of copyright

[James Courtier-Dutton]

D Richard Felker III wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 25, 2004 at 10:52:32PM +0100, Christof Buergi wrote:
> 
>>D Richard Felker III sagte:
>>
>>>No, you do not need a license to "use" software. The GPL makes it
>>>abundantly clear that this is true at least for the GPL.
>>
>>All right. As I told before, I am no lawyer. But I had classes about
>>copyright. And this matter was something we discussed a long time.
>>Thus, I'm absolutely postive that you are very wrong.
> 
> 
> Your class was taught by the idiots who want it to be that way.
> 
> If you want me to believe this nonsense, SHOW ME THE LAW that says you
> have to have a license. These is no such law.
> 
> 
>>Software is the only copyrightable thing, were you *don't* have a
>>right to use it. You *need* the explicit authorisation from whoever
>>holds the rights to the program. So, technically spoken, you are not
>>even allowed to boot Linux if you don't agree to the GPL. In fact, you
>>would be liable for damages.
> 
> 
> This is blatently a LIE. Why don't you READ the fucking GPL which
> EXPLICITLY says you are not required to accept it to use the
> software???
> 
> In fact some idiotic authors of GPL software (which includes other
> people's GPL code) make you click a click-thru GPL in order to
> download the source. This is ILLEGAL, because the GPL does not allow
> additional restrictions to be placed when copying/distributing, and
> requiring someone to agree to the GPL ** IS AN ADDITIONAL RESTRICTION
> **.
> 
> Rich
> 

"copyright" means that no one is allowed to copy anything you mark with 
your copyright without your expressed permission.
A "license" is a means to explain who has your permission and who does not.

Cheers
James