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Shorten this down to include discussion only of specific GPL sections.
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Bradley M. Kuhn 2017-05-09 07:02:13 -05:00
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presentations/30min-specific-sections/specific-sections.md
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% Brief Introduction to the GNU General Public License
% Considering Key Sections of the GPL
% Bradley M. Kuhn
% Monday 24 March 2014
% Tuesday 9 May 2017
# Audience Polls
+ My goal here is to move faster or slower based on audience knowledge.
+ There are folks in this audience who have worked with this stuff for years,
and those who are completely new.
+ We want these presentations to be valuable to all of you.
+ Please, don't be embarrassed:
+ Ever GPL expert in the world, including me, started as a student who
knew none of this.
# IANAL
<cite>IANAL</cite>
# My Affiliations
+ Formerly had John's job, Executive Director of FSF, years ago.
+ Currently: on Board of Directors of FSF.
+ President of Software Freedom Conservancy.
# How These Orgs Relate to GPL?
+ FSF
+ Invented copyleft.
+ Authors &amp; stewards of the GPL.
+ Holder of copyrights on many key GNU programs &hellip;
+ &hellip; and therefore enforcers of those copyrights.
+ Software Freedom Conservancy
+ Adviser on legal issues of copyright, etc. to Free Software projects.
+ Holder of some copyrights on its member projects.
+ Enforcer of GPL on behalf of many copyright holders in:
+ BusyBox, Samba, Mercurial, and the kernel named Linux.
# How this Hour Will Go?
+ Materials presented will mix the simple &amp; complex.
+ We cannot possibly cover the entire GPL in one hour.
+ Discuss: motivations, origins, then a few of GPL's sections.
+ I understand the mix of backgrounds in the audience.
# A Restaurant's Lawyer?
+ Considering why you want to learn this.
+ What if your client was a restaurant?
+ What would you want to need to know?
# Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study?
+ If you were a restaurant's lawyer:
+ Probably three areas of law you'd focus on:
+ building codes.
+ health and safety regulations.
+ tax regulations.
+ Who would want to hear from?
# Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study?
+ Figure out the motivations behind the building code:
+ What parts are arcane and less important to inspectors?
+ How do inspections work?
+ What are the penalties?
+ Figure out the same for health &amp; safety:
+ Who inspects, and when?
+ What's the health code say, and what checklist do inspectors use?
+ Likely Questions:
+ Who's in charge of all this?
+ What's purpose and intent of these regulations?
+ Can I meet the inspectors?
# Why Listen To Us?
+ FSF: Understanding the purpose and intent of the GPL.
+ Conservancy &amp; FSF:
+ both enforce the GPL.
+ if your client violates, you will hear from one of us.
+ Such access to drafters, interpreters, enforcers is highly unique.
+ Someday, we may (or already have) sit across the table from you.
+ Our transparency does make your job easier.
# The Mindset of GPL
+ GPL protects software freedom.
+ Ultimate goal: make sure every user has the four freedoms.
+ Freedom to run the software.
+ Freedom to study and modify the software.
+ Freedom to share the software.
+ Freedom to distribute modified versions.
+ Every clause in GPL was designed to uphold one of these freedoms.
+ Or, it's a compromise of drafting in adoption vs. freedom debate.
# Using Copyright
+ GPL is primarily a copyright license.
+ Software is copyrighted.
+ License grants key freedoms.
+ Requirement prohibit activities that take away freedoms.
+ General concept: copyleft.
+ Specific implementation: GPL.
<hr/>
<span class="fitonslide">
> Copyright protection subsists &hellip; original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression &hellip; from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
<p align=right>
&mdash; <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/102">17 USC &sect;102</a>
</p>
</span>
# Conditional Permissions
+ A copyleft license grants copyright permissions, conditionally.
@ -148,41 +15,11 @@
+ 9 times in GPLv3.
# Compare To Proprietary Licenses
+ Yes, the GPL has its requirements.
+ But *none* of these activities are ever permitted under proprietary
licenses.
+ If you don't like what the GPL requires you to do, then just tell your
client to use the proprietary software instead.
+ That way, they know the answer to every question is &ldquo;no&rdquo;
+ rather than: &ldquo;yes, but only as long as you &hellip;&rdquo;
# The Technical Gap
+ Understanding GPL well requires a some software expertise &amp; legal
expertise.
+ You don't have to be a professional on either side to grok it.
+ but you're best off if you're a professional in one &amp; an amateur
in the other.
+ Most important technical concepts you need:
+ source code, binaries, methods of distribution.
# Considering Sections of the GPL
+ With the remaining time &hellip;
+ in interest of the experts in the audience &hellip;
+ let's dig into a few specific sections.
+ GPL &hearts; 17 USC&sect;106(2) &amp; 17 USC&sect;106(3)
+ Modification and distribution.
+ GPL hinges on modification and distribution.
# Why Permission to Modify?
@ -404,15 +241,3 @@ The Corresponding Source for a work in source code form is that
same work.
</p>
</span>
# The GPL is a Complex Topic
+ An in-depth seminar on GPL's provisions is a one-day course &hellip;
+ &hellip; but the written materials discuss every section in depth.
+ Keep in mind: every requirement has a carefully considered purpose to
uphold freedom of users.
+ Software freedom licenses have a moral perspective.
+ This is probably the most difficult thing for lawyers to understand.