[Fwd: [gnu.org #220719] Re: python and gpl]

[Paul Rubin]

Tim Churches <tchur at optushome.com.au> writes:
> See also this article, in which Lawrence Rosen, the attorney for
> OSI, admits that it is impossible for anyone to properly interpret
> the application of various open source licenses under the various
> national laws: http://www.devx.com/opensource/Article/27171
> 
> I suspect that this issue applies equally to the FSF.

Correct.  Neither a GPL compliance engineer, the FSF's legal counsel,
an attorney for OSI, a defendant or potential defendant, or anyone
else except a judge presiding over a court of law having jurisdiction
over an actual case or controversy involving the license, can
interpret the application of a license under the law in a legally
binding way.

The FSF is sticking to its guns and has not yet had to drag anyone
before an actual judge to get the matter decided.  Various possible
candidates for such dragging have apparently decided that their
chances weren't too good.

As for the copying-from-disk doctrine, that's purely guesswork on my
part.  The FSF has not publicly disclosed its legal strategy for if
and when a case comes up.