Does SCO distribute XFce or XFce4?

[Jack Coates]

On Fri, 2004-02-27 at 08:28, Brian J. Tarricone wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Feb 2004, john-thomas richards wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 10:46:53AM -0500, csm at Lunar-Linux.org wrote:
> > > Some of you may have seen that Fyodor (Nmap author) has removed SCO's 
> > > right to distribute Nmap.
> > 
> > nmap is licensed under the gpl.  how can one remove another's right to
> > distribute it since the gpl *guarantees* said right?
> 
> what it boils down to is that fyodor _owns_ the copyright on the nmap 
> code, so he can pretty much do with it whatever he damn well pleases, 
> including adding or removing restrictions at will.  at the point that 
> you add restrictions, however, an argument can be made that it isn't 
> truly licensed under the GPL anymore.  by rights he should rename his 
> license, and basically say "This sofware is licensed under the terms of 
> the Foobarbaz license.  The use and redistribution terms are identical 
> to those of the GNU GPL, with the added restriction that SCO is not 
> allowed to...  blah blah blah."
> 

I was going to disagree, but after reviewing the GPL at
http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl.txt, I think you're right. The nmap team
claims their action is covered under Clause 4 by SCO distributing nmap
on a "Supplemental Open Source CD" while acting to invalidate the GPL
with their other products. That's a non sequiter, unfortunately, because
the GPL doesn't say you have to whole-heartedly agree in order to
distribute. To stretch an analogy, someone trying to overthrow the
system of driver's licenses doesn't get their driver's license
automatically revoked.
...
> i despise SCO as much as most linux people, but i stop short at pulling 
> what are, IMHO, childish pranks.
> 
> 	-brian

agreed. Let them shoot their own feet.
-- 
Jack at Monkeynoodle Dot Org: It's A Scientific Venture...
**********************************************************************
* "In the long run, we're all dead." -- John Maynard Keynes          *
**********************************************************************