A new source of anti-GPL FUD

A new source of anti-GPL FUD

Posted Nov 22, 2003 10:30 UTC (Sat) by dmantione (guest, #4640)
In reply to: A new source of anti-GPL FUD by TwoTimeGrime
Parent article: A new source of anti-GPL FUD

Not really. If you combine GPL code with non-GPL code you violate copyright. Making
the rest of your source code is a solution to solve the copyright violation.

Copyright violation is in principle a criminal act. However, you do not go to jail for
accidentally including GPL code in your product. Unless you refuse to take out the code,
there is nothing to fear here.

In addition, the copyright holder usually has had (financial) damage because of the
copyright violation. In a civil procedure he can demand the pirate to compensate the
damage.

Now, I think the only damage you have when someone steals your GPL code is the
money that you would earn by writing that code at normal payment rates. The "pirate"
would have to pay that.

In other words, there is no legal requirement to make the rest of your source GPL, it is
just a legal solution, but by removing the code and paying the damages, it is not strictly
necessary to do so.

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