[ale] GPL Question.

[Keith Morris]

Here is a code example of what I'm talking about...it's not removing the 
copyright, just the DISPLAY of the copyright on rendered pages...notice 
right in the copyrigh notice, I can "redistribute it and/or modify it"...

<?php
/************************************************************************/
/* PHP-NUKE: Web Portal System                                          */
/* ===========================                                          */
/*                                                                      */
/* Copyright (c) 2002 by Francisco Burzi                                */
/* http://phpnuke.org                                                   */
/*                                                                      */
/* This program is free software. You can redistribute it and/or modify */
/* it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by */
/* the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License.       */
/************************************************************************/

--- Snip irrelevant stuff here ---

###############################################
# DO NOT REMOVE THE FOLLOWING COPYRIGHT LINE! #
# YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO REMOVE NOR EDIT THIS. #
###############################################

// IF YOU REALLY NEED TO REMOVE IT AND HAVE MY WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION 
CHECK: http://phpnuke.org/modules.php?name=Commercial_License
// PLAY FAIR AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE!

echo "<META NAME=\"GENERATOR\" CONTENT=\"PHP-Nuke $Version_Num - 
Copyright 2003 by http://phpnuke.org\">\n";

?>

still not sure of the answer....

Thanks,
Keith

Jason Etheridge wrote:

>> On Mon, Mar 15, 2004 at 04:25:53PM -0500, Keith Morris - IQ wrote:
>>
>>> But if I want to remove these sections, even though the code says I must
>>> ask for explicit permission from the author to remove this, doesn't the
>>> fact that it is being released under the GPL allow me to do whatever I
>>> want with this as long as I am not redistributing it?
>>
>> The GPL does *not* allow you to do whatever you want.  It is quite
>> specific in what you can do.  Legally, the GPL is nothing more than a
>> license saying what you can do with their copyrighted software.
>>
>> One may use copyrighted material only in ways that the copyright holder
>> allows.  Copying and altering are specifically forbidden unless the 
>> holder
>> allows you to and then only on the holder's terms.  Removing a copyright
>> notice is illegal and could subject you to fines of $250,000 or more.
> 
> 
> I've heard it said many times that the GPL does not place any 
> restrictions on Use, only on Redistribution (whether you call that a use 
> or not).  I can buy a copyrighted painting and draw on it with crayon if 
> I want to.  However, with software off the internet things get iffy, 
> because technically you have to Copy it just to get it, and thus are 
> subject to copyright restrictions and license agreements right from the 
> start.
> 
> Now, if the developers of this software are using the GPL and are also 
> trying to require additional restrictions that go against the GPL (and I 
> don't know if this is the case or not), then basically the license is 
> invalidated, and Keith doesn't have a right to copy the software at all, 
> much less use it.
> 
> Just my opinion.  IANAL, etc.
> 
> -- Jason
> 
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