[mythtv-users] New user and question about GPL

[Lane Schwartz]

On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 08:24:05 -0500, stefan at maverickintegration.com
<stefan at maverickintegration.com> wrote:
> My question about GPL is: 
> What is the procedure to get a copy of the source code from a company that
> is selling GPL software? 

Short answer: The company is correct.

Long answer:

If a company sells GPL software in binary form, they are obligated to
provide the source code, upon request, to anyone who purchased the
software from them. They are under this obligation for a minimum of 3
years after each sale.

However, as Donavan mentioned, any customer who gets the source code
from them may turn around and give it away for free. And there's
nothing the company can do to stop them.

I'm pasting the relevant section of the GPL (section 3, subsection b
is what's relevant here). But if you have serious questions, I'd
recommend emailing the GNU team. They are usually very prompt about
license inquiries. gnu -at- gnu dot org

>From the GPL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html)

3.  You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1
and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of
physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable
copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the
terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for
software interchange; or,

    c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed
only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the
program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in
accord with Subsection b above.)


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