Public Domain Python

[Pat McCann]

scarblac-spamtrap at pino.selwerd.nl (Remco Gerlich) writes:

> Linux isn't public domain at all! Linux is under the GPL, the GNU license;
> it uses copyright to ensure that everyone can use the software and change it,
> *as long as the results are still GPL* (or something like that - there are
> details, read the thing).

The first quoted line is, like most statements, not quite accurate.
Parts of Linux OSes and part of the Linux kernel are under various
licenses or in the public domain.  Linus seems to have no qualms about
claiming (see the README) GPL (plus his own addendum to allow
closed-source modules) coverage of the entire kernel formed of parts
copyrighted by many people (or none) under many licenses (or none).  And
since few programmers (literary authors are more circumspect) worry
about claims of plagiarism from software in the public domain the parts
of the kernel in public domain are essentially undetectable.  This use
of the GPL has the ironic practical effect (though not the theoretical
effect, of course) of removing software from the public domain and from
very permissive licenses.