xtcommerce.com and his shop no. 3

[Kein Ende]

but what does this mean:

the licence.txt file of the 3rd release contains in first the GPL

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE


Version 2, June 1991
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 675 Mass Ave,
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute
verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.


Preamble
The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to
share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended
to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure
the software is free for all its users. 

Can I change this Licence?, because the mods of xtc did so under the
preamble of the gpl! Isn't it Copyright over Copyright = rubbish?

> Kein Ende wrote:
> 
> >hi folks,
> >
> >before a few days i thought, that all software licenced under gnu/gpl is
> >free.
> >  
> >
> Free has many meanings. I suggest you read at www.gnu.org "Free as in 
> Freedom".
> 
> Nothing in the GPL forbids charging for GPL software.
> 
> However, once one person (having paid) has received the software they 
> are granted the freedoms of the GPL which do permit that person to 
> further distribute the software without charge if they desire; and also 
> they are granted access to the source (according to the GPL) and which 
> they are required to make available if they distribute the binaries.
> 
> So, in short, if it really bothers you, go ahead and pay for support and 
> then release the source "for free."
> 
> I don't think this is desirable though, I think it is enough that those 
> who buy the product are kept free and not tied with vendor lock-in and 
> proprietaryness.
> 
> As a final point if the distributor is the total copyright holder or has 
> the co-operation of the copyright holders then they can take their own 
> work (of which earlier releases may have been GPL) and release that work 
> under a different license - this by virtue of owning the copyright - for 
> after all the GPL is merely a conditional grant of extra rights that the 
> copyright holders already possess without condition.
> 
> Sam
> 
> >oscommerce is free
> >
> >xt-commerce is free, in 2nd release. the 3rd release is only available,
> if
> >you pay for support, to get a login to the sponsor-area.
> >
> >is this gnu/gpl conform?
> >
> >*sorry 4 my english :-)
> >
> >  
> >
> 

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