ATTN: Brasilian state aproves "opensource" law

[Rui Miguel Seabra]

On Fri, Dec 06, 2002 at 11:48:37PM +0100, Niall Douglas wrote:
> On 6 Dec 2002 at 15:20, Rui Miguel Seabra wrote:
> > I don't know if someone has disregarded reading my email, but it
> > requires attention.
> > It is my interpretation that that law forbids most free software just
> > as well as non-free software.
> > The way I read it, it explicitly rejects software that has any
> > restriction in redistribution.
> Anything with such a restriction could be argued to not be free. I 
> know some advocates of FreeBSD who think that about the GPL.

The restrictions imposed by the GNU GPL *on*distribution* are there to
stop anyone from turning some Free Software into some proprietary software.

That is:
  *IF* you distribute this software, modified or not, you *will*have*to*give*
*the*same*rights*you*had*when*you*got*it*.

So that's a restriction to *stop*you* from restricting the 4 freedoms on
Free Software for some users.

> Probably like any government they have misguided visions of security 
> risks if they are forced to publish source code. Pity.

What do you mean? Do you think that they are forced to publish source code?
If so, can you tell me exactly *why* would they have to publish code? Does the
GNU GPL say that?

Check here for the answer:
   http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLRequireSourcePostedPublic

Rui
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