Re: Loading a package applies automatically to future sessions?

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA>]

>> Given the above, I believe you now realize that this was a mistaken
>> interpretation.  You retain all the rights, you just give the FSF the
>> ability to enforce the copyright if needed.
> Which copyright does one give the FSF the ability to enforce?

Only the copyright holder can sue someone for infringement.
AFAIK the things you lose when transferring your copyright to the FSF are:
- the ability to transfer your copyright to someone else (because only
  the copyright holder can transfer his copyright to someone else (note
  that the copyright holder cannot not "copy" his copyright he can only
  transfer it)).  This is not something the FSF really needs/wants which
  is why there is that clause that says that the FSF gives you the right
  to do anything you like with your work (i.e. to gives you back as
  much of the copyright holder's rights as it legally can).
- the ability to sue someone for infringement (because only the
  copyright holder can do that) which is one of the main reasons the FSF
  wants to have the copyright.
- the ability to prevent the FSF from licensing your work under some
  licence with which you happen to disagree (tho, IIRC, the paperwork
  you sign does include some clause promising that your work will stay
  under some kind of Free licence, tho, to try and make sure that
  there's not much point for <yourfavoriteevilcompany> to buy/infiltrate the
  FSF, since changing the licenses to be non-Free would break all those
  copyright assignments).


        Stefan