From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.io!.POSTED.blaine.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Stefan Kangas Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.bugs Subject: bug#50446: Emacs FAQ entry "What is the real legal meaning of the GNU copyleft?" still relevant? Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2021 03:11:10 +0200 Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Injection-Info: ciao.gmane.io; posting-host="blaine.gmane.org:116.202.254.214"; logging-data="15169"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@ciao.gmane.io" Cc: rms@gnu.org To: 50446@debbugs.gnu.org Original-X-From: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Tue Sep 07 03:19:04 2021 Return-path: Envelope-to: geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]) by ciao.gmane.io with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.92) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPlQ-0003hz-Kj for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Tue, 07 Sep 2021 03:19:04 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:36942 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPlO-0004ys-MN for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:19:02 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:37582) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPed-0001tc-Ci for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:12:03 -0400 Original-Received: from debbugs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.43]:43310) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:128) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPec-0002oS-SG; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:12:03 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-debbugs by debbugs.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPec-0004so-O2; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:12:02 -0400 X-Loop: help-debbugs@gnu.org Resent-From: Stefan Kangas Original-Sender: "Debbugs-submit" Resent-CC: rms@gnu.org, bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Resent-Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2021 01:12:02 +0000 Resent-Message-ID: Resent-Sender: help-debbugs@gnu.org X-GNU-PR-Message: report 50446 X-GNU-PR-Package: emacs X-Debbugs-Original-To: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Debbugs-Original-Xcc: rms@gnu.org Original-Received: via spool by submit@debbugs.gnu.org id=B.163097708718711 (code B ref -1); Tue, 07 Sep 2021 01:12:02 +0000 Original-Received: (at submit) by debbugs.gnu.org; 7 Sep 2021 01:11:27 +0000 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:54856 helo=debbugs.gnu.org) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPe2-0004rj-Qa for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:11:27 -0400 Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]:35854) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPe1-0004rY-DY for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:11:25 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:37512) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPe1-0001gS-8Y for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:11:25 -0400 Original-Received: from mail-pf1-f175.google.com ([209.85.210.175]:42544) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:128) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1mNPdy-0002OF-UR for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 21:11:24 -0400 Original-Received: by mail-pf1-f175.google.com with SMTP id 18so6790859pfh.9 for ; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 18:11:22 -0700 (PDT) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to :content-transfer-encoding; bh=nDau4402AKHkV8p5xEkhDzQhz/OgQuYpRaGAhxJIGzk=; b=Jx7723AxsNj/+lGOKuh4cDANaJhaLnbZmD/senIp3ZVPKtOR7aqMEE+G9Uy4Amlw9z RieoqA6HDwdxinH1ty+mDY585omRNPkKyG1haGmWg2+Q2P6duRFHFBJ6wL4rV9U/sVdF gSoqAU8bQYqFqwDheL6cy3xdeojPwp1wNQ1dtldcf2gCBGbYMNM+LkAKLzbhu8meUFca Tw10pCr6UdjDbRO0OZzka8vCpnwxAAwwFopuW5uFydvvwJJcuxxLUifY0Pe3DZAz8HNM jH78gX2qB3F6vYLtWrDWEKznBhAWgvD4oajIz70rNkNIIBffIubY9xDVO9blBkmlmbH9 qVQg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM533ao2TewFSPkZXR8uer/UiluTikysEcX5Jbkw7iN2wYuHRXhuqp 8qyHJdVKqoXlgsZ1ZLIAZxvEZN7oJky/gZ5V+sNBNs7D4T0= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJzfn3U0aZWXjYh/cwBd20raDLWnO0mSKpRVwzx7FH/TBkU4w1AH65RZ6aXryDdzxnqleruc/JBFaBQ/eW8aAg0= X-Received: by 2002:a63:7d5d:: with SMTP id m29mr4568833pgn.114.1630977081231; Mon, 06 Sep 2021 18:11:21 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: pass client-ip=209.85.210.175; envelope-from=stefankangas@gmail.com; helo=mail-pf1-f175.google.com X-Spam_score_int: -13 X-Spam_score: -1.4 X-Spam_bar: - X-Spam_report: (-1.4 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, FREEMAIL_FORGED_FROMDOMAIN=0.25, FREEMAIL_FROM=0.001, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS=0.249, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE=-0.0001, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_H2=-0.001, SPF_HELO_NONE=0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no X-Spam_action: no action X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit@debbugs.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18 Precedence: list X-BeenThere: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org List-Id: "Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors" List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "bug-gnu-emacs" Xref: news.gmane.io gmane.emacs.bugs:213655 Archived-At: Severity: wishlist X-Debbugs-CC: rms@gnu.org Is the below entry in the Emacs FAQ still relevant? These days, we have had several copyright infringement case involving the GPL. Could we just delete the entry in the FAQ? 2.1 What is the real legal meaning of the GNU copyleft? =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D The real legal meaning of the GNU General Public License (copyleft) will only be known if and when a judge rules on its validity and scope. There has never been a copyright infringement case involving the GPL to set any precedents. Although legal actions have been brought against companies for violating the terms of the GPL, so far all have been settled out of court (in favor of the plaintiffs). Please take any discussion regarding this issue to the gnu-misc-discuss mailing list (https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss), which was created to hold the extensive flame wars on the subject. RMS writes: The legal meaning of the GNU copyleft is less important than the spirit, which is that Emacs is a free software project and that work pertaining to Emacs should also be free software. =E2=80=9CFree= =E2=80=9D means that all users have the freedom to study, share, change and improve Emacs. To make sure everyone has this freedom, pass along source code when you distribute any version of Emacs or a related program, and give the recipients the same freedom that you enjoyed.