Re: Emacs Installer for MS Windows

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

"Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@xemacs.org> writes:

> >>>>> "Stefan" == Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:
> 
>     Stefan> PS: Another request: make sure the installer does not
>     Stefan> require to agree to the GPL before installing.  You can
>     Stefan> put a blurb about "this is GPL'd isn't that grand", but
>     Stefan> don't put one of those silly "you have to agree to the
>     Stefan> licence before I can continue" thingies since the GPL is
>     Stefan> irrelevant to the user's right to install and run the
>     Stefan> software.
> 
> If that's true, sections 11 and 12 of the GPL are irrelevant, too?

[...]

> However, intentionally omitting this chance to get the user's
> agreement just props that door wide open again.
> 
> I suspect that there may be legal obligations (eg, the contract with
> ETL, and maybe even the assignments) on the part of the FSF to avoid
> this.
> 
> IANAL, but I hope somebody asks a real one before omitting it.

Well, the GPL also has

      5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
    signed it.  However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
    distribute the Program or its derivative works.  These actions are
    prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.  Therefore, by
    modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
    Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
    all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
    the Program or works based on it.

Since the licence itself states you are not required to accept it for
running the program, there is little point in explicitly accepting
that you need not accept the licence.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum