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Falcata

Member

From: Michiana

Registered: 2008-01-23

Posts: 501

Website

Question about the GPL

Last Tuesday I started a college course called "Multi-User Operating Systems", which uses Linux to teach the class.  For the first class session, the teacher gave us some basic information on Linux, Open Source, Free Software, etc.  During the session, I got in a short argument with the teacher over the GPL.  She said that if you sell open source or free software, you're required to contribute some of the profits back to the software's developer(s), while I said that there was no such requirement.

Which one of us is right?

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Lord of Maelstrom

dr.cranium

Member

Registered: 2008-01-25

Posts: 65

Re: Question about the GPL

I'm pretty sure you are.

tigrmesh

IRC Op

From: Florida, US

Registered: 2007-12-11

Posts: 794

Re: Question about the GPL

Read the license.  It doesn't say you're required to contribute some of the profits back to the software's developer(s).  GPL2 is located in /usr/share/licenses/common/GPL/license.txt.

wuischke

Member

From: Suisse Romande

Registered: 2007-01-06

Posts: 630

Re: Question about the GPL

There is no such requirement. There are scam sites selling aMule and it's perfectly legal as long as they provide sources when asked. They don't have to (and don't) give us anything.