[Dev-C++] FW: GNU GPL vs FLA

[Ioannis V. <iv...@em...>]

I think many will find it interesting.




-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Gerwinski [mailto:pe...@g-...] On Behalf Of Peter Gerwinski
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:59 PM
To: Ioannis Vranos
Subject: Re: GNU GPL vs FLA


Dear Ioannis Vranos,

you wrote:
> I checked your web site but I did not understand and I would be grateful
if
> you explained it to me:
> 
> Is Fiduciary Licence Agreement (FLA) a replacement for GPL in Europe?

Not at all.

When you write software, it is under your copyright, so it is up to
you to choose a software license (such as the GNU GPL). If someone
breaks your license, it is up to you to sue him - which is a lot of
effort. If you do not have the ressources to make sure that everyone
sticks to the license of your software, the license does not have
much value.

You can use the FLA to enable the FSF/FSFE to do that part for you
when your software license is a Free Software license.

In short: The GPL is something you give to your customers.
If you sign the FLA, you enable the FSF/FSFE to help you to
protect the freedom of your software.

Hope this helps,

    Peter
-- 
Dr. rer. nat. Peter Gerwinski
Free Software Foundation Europe
http://fsfeurope.org