146 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
146 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
% Brief Introduction to the GNU General Public License
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% Bradley M. Kuhn
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% Monday 24 March 2014
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# Audience Polls
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+ My goal here is to move faster or slower based on audience knowledge.
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+ There are folks in this audience who have worked with this stuff for years,
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and those who are completely new.
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+ We want these presentations to be valuable to all of you.
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+ Please, don't be embarrassed:
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+ Ever GPL expert in the world, including me, started as a student who
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knew none of this.
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# IANAL
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<cite>IANAL</cite>
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# My Affiliations
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+ Formerly had John's job, Executive Director of FSF, years ago.
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+ Currently: on Board of Directors of FSF.
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+ President of Software Freedom Conservancy.
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# How These Orgs Relate to GPL?
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+ FSF
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+ Invented copyleft.
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+ Authors & stewards of the GPL.
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+ Holder of copyrights on many key GNU programs …
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+ … and therefore enforcers of those copyrights.
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+ Software Freedom Conservancy
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+ Adviser on legal issues of copyright, etc. to Free Software projects.
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+ Holder of some copyrights on its member projects.
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+ Enforcer of GPL on behalf of many copyright holders in:
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+ BusyBox, Samba, Mercurial, and the kernel named Linux.
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# How this Hour Will Go?
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+ Materials presented will mix the simple & complex.
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+ We cannot possibly cover the entire GPL in one hour.
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+ Discuss: motivations, origins, then a few of GPL's sections.
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+ I understand the mix of backgrounds in the audience.
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# A Restaurant's Lawyer?
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+ Considering why you want to learn this.
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+ What if your client was a restaurant?
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+ What would you want to need to know?
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# Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study?
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+ If you were a restaurant's lawyer:
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+ Probably three areas of law you'd focus on:
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+ building codes.
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+ health and safety regulations.
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+ tax regulations.
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+ Who would want to hear from?
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# Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study?
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+ Figure out the motivations behind the building code:
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+ What parts are arcane and less important to inspectors?
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+ How do inspections work?
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+ What are the penalties?
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+ Figure out the same for health & safety:
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+ Who inspects, and when?
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+ What's the health code say, and what checklist do inspectors use?
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+ Is there any way the two interrelate?
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+ Who is in charge of all this?
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+ What was the purpose and intent of these regulations?
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# Why Listen To Us?
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+ FSF: Understanding the purpose and intent of the GPL.
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+ Conservancy & FSF:
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+ both enforce the GPL.
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+ if your client violates, you will hear from one of us.
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+ Such access to drafters, interpreters, enforcers is likely highly unique.
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+ Someday, someone in this room may (or already has) sit across the table
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from you in negotiations.
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+ Our transparency does make your job easier.
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# The Mindset of GPL
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+ GPL protects software freedom.
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+ Ultimate goal: make sure every user has the four freedoms.
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+ Freedom to run the software.
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+ Freedom to study and modify the software.
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+ Freedom to share the software.
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+ Freedom to distribute modified versions.
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+ Every clause in GPL was designed to uphold one of these freedoms.
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+ Or, it's a compromise of drafting in adoption vs. freedom debate.
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# Using Copyright
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+ GPL is primarily a copyright license.
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+ Software is copyrighted.
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+ License grants key freedoms.
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+ Requirement prohibit activities that take away freedoms.
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+ General concept: copyleft.
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+ Specific implementation: GPL.
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<hr/>
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<span class="fitonslide">
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> an original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression … from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device
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<p align=right>
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— 17 USC \S~102
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</p>
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</span>
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