Re:Why did it take so many posts?
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Abusing the GPL?
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· Score: 1
What if the company does not ever modify or work on the _distributed_ version? GPL section 3(a) says that if the company releases a binary version of a GPLd code, the company has to release the "corresponding source code".
What if, when the company has the code ready to release, they keep a working copy of the source code. Then they add a couple of dummy methods to each source file, obfuscate the crap out of it and then sell that version? The obfuscated version is the preferred form of the _distributed_ version (because the company never intends to modify it.
Instead, when they need to make modifications, they use the source code one step back in the source tree (without dummy methods)... Ethically dubious, but does not literally violate GPL methinks.
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What if the company does not ever modify or work on the _distributed_ version? GPL section 3(a) says that if the company releases a binary version of a GPLd code, the company has to release the "corresponding source code".
What if, when the company has the code ready to release, they keep a working copy of the source code. Then they add a couple of dummy methods to each source file, obfuscate the crap out of it and then sell that version? The obfuscated version is the preferred form of the _distributed_ version (because the company never intends to modify it.
Instead, when they need to make modifications, they use the source code one step back in the source tree (without dummy methods)... Ethically dubious, but does not literally violate GPL methinks.