[mythtv-users] OT Apple vs GPL (Was: THIS IS A NON-COMMERCIAL MAILING LIST)

[Simon Hobson]

LuKreme wrote:
>Simon Hobson spake on Thursday 19-Apr-2012 at 05:11:54
>>>  You can't install the application you purchase on more than 5 devices

I didn't write that, please attribute quotes correctly.

>People keep repeating this, but it is simply not true. Has never been true.
>
>You can install your application on as many devices as you want. 
>There is no limit, and there never has been.

That's splitting hairs a bit. Yes you can install your purchases on 
as many devices as you like, but you can only use 5 computers to do 
so. Yes, I looked this up. So the limit varies from as low as 5 to as 
high as unlimited depending on how that 5 computers limit interacts 
with how you want to use/sync your devices.
I find myself mildly surprised that Apple have seemingly passed up an 
opportunity to further screw people over.

But it's moot anyway in the context of the original thread. Apple's 
store is incompatible with the GPL. Even if you treat the step 
between submitting it and it appearing on the store in encumbered 
format as a "build step", there is still the problem that certain 
modifications cannot pass this step, and so the author could not 
comply with the "cannot place restriction on how someone else 
modifies and uses the code" bit of the GPL - that build step places 
restrictions on how the recipient may modify and use the code, ergo 
incompatible with GPL.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
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