Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on August 30, 2002 06:21 PM
I think the GPL has a clause that essentially says you have all (and only) the rights granted by the GPL even if whoever gave you the software did so in violation of the license. It's as if you got the software directly from the author(s) (who, of course, can flaunt the GPL as much as they like, being the original owners of the copyright), even if you really didn't.
In this case, however, it seems you have no right to redistribute the software, which is pretty much the only right the GPL gives you. But you still legally own the copy you have, and you do retain the right to use it, since you have that by default and the GPL doesn't restrict it in any way.
(Disclaimer: IANAL, and I'm not looking at the GPL as I type this, so I could be misremembering.)
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Re:Not a problem for sold GPL software, surely?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on August 30, 2002 06:21 PMIn this case, however, it seems you have no right to redistribute the software, which is pretty much the only right the GPL gives you. But you still legally own the copy you have, and you do retain the right to use it, since you have that by default and the GPL doesn't restrict it in any way.
(Disclaimer: IANAL, and I'm not looking at the GPL as I type this, so I could be misremembering.)
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