LWN.net Logo

The return of the Stanford Checker

The return of the Stanford Checker

Posted Jun 13, 2002 7:53 UTC (Thu) by DeletedUser1717 ((unknown), #1717)
In reply to: The return of the Stanford Checker by jbeyer
Parent article: The return of the Stanford Checker

Even assuming that it is derived from a GPL source, as the Checker has never been distributed (it is only used internally at Stanford) there is no requirement to release any source for it.


(Log in to post comments)

The return of the Stanford Checker

Posted Jun 13, 2002 11:23 UTC (Thu) by jbeyer (guest, #901) [Link]

is giving the checker to a student a distribution?

dont get me wrong I would not press on anybody and I sure dont
want to do any harm to the cheker writers. I hope that they will
release it soon - any way in what shape the source is :-)

The return of the Stanford Checker

Posted Jun 13, 2002 14:21 UTC (Thu) by gleef (guest, #1004) [Link]

jbeyer asks:
is giving the checker to a student a distribution?

Giving a student binaries or source code to install on their on system (or in their directory on the Stanford systems) would be a distribution. Merely permitting the students to run the version already installed by the authors is not. I don't know how the Checker project operates.

Even if they are distributing to students, if they excercise distribution option 'a' under GPL term 3, they may package the source together with the binaries on the same medium, and have no further obligation to distribute the source. They can't prevent the hypothetical students from redistributing the software, but nobody can force the students to, either.

I am not a lawyer; the above should not be construed as legal advice.

Copyright © 2012, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds