juridical Question on software and GPL

[Volker Sauer]

Hello,

I have a question about a german software which is distributed with GPL 
License:

The software is called "tudo". It seems to be sort of an ERP (Enterprise 
Resource Planning) system. You'll find it at http://www.bemme.de

The author of the software says at http://www.bemme.de/index1.php

<citation>
Konsequente Offenheit
Tudo wird mit dem kompletten Quellcode ausgeliefert, der unter der GNU 
General Public Licence gestellt wurde. Das garantiert Ihnen einhundert 
Prozent Unabhängigkeit. Sie können jederzeit den Code einsehen, 
editieren und erweitern.
<citation>

I'll try to translate this to english:

<translation>
Consequently OpenSource:
Tudo is distributed with complete sourcecode, which is licensed as GPL. 
This guarantees you 100% independence. You can always view, edit and 
upgrade the code.
</translation>

When you go the download section of http://www.bemme.de, you can only 
download version <= 1.20 with restricted features.
On this page http://www.bemme.de/order.php you can *order* ths software 
and on this page, you find the prices: http://www.bemme.de/price.php.
On the latter page, the authors tells us:

<citation>
Preise:
Für das Programmpaket berechnen wir Euro 99,50. Darin enthalten ist das 
Programm Tudo mit Quellcode, Benutzerhandbuch und 30 Tage kostenlosen 
Email-Support mit Zugang zum Servicebereich dieser Homepage. Die Zahlung 
erfolgt per Vorkasse oder Nachnahme. Bei Vorkasse werden keine 
Versandkosten berechnet. Der Zugriff auf den Servicebereich ist auf 
unbegrenzte Zeit. Alle Updates sind zum freien Download verfügbar.

Für das Programm und alle seine Komponenten (Betriebssystem, 
Datenbankgröße, etc.) fallen keine Lizenzgebühren an. Sie bezahlen 
lediglich die Dienstleistungen für Installation, Support und 
Programmierung.
</citation>

I'll try to translate:

<translation>
Prices:
For the software-package we charge you EUR 99,50. It includes the 
software tudo including it's source, a manual and 30 days of charge-free 
e-mail-support with access to the servicesection of this homepage. The 
payment is done against prepayment or against cash-on-delivery. In case 
of prepayment the delivery itself will be free of charge. The access to 
the service-section will then be unrestricted forever. All future 
updates are free to download.
For the software itself and all it's components (operatingsystem, 
databasesize etc.), there will be no royalties. You only pay for the 
service for installion, support and programming.
</translation>


I am no expert in juridical questions, so I'm sending my question the 
this list and hope to get an answer from someone more familiar with this 
matter.

The question is: is this in accordance with GPL?

The author of the software doesn't give the neither the software as 
binary nor the sourcecode away for free-charge, but says it's GPL!?
The author says:

1) "Tudo is distributed with complete sourcecode, which is licensed as GPL."

and

2) "You can always view, edit and upgrade the code."

and

3) "For the software itself and all it's components (operatingsystem, 
databasesize etc.), there will be no royalties."

but

4) "For the software-package we charge you EUR 99,50"

and

5) "You only pay for the service for installion, support and programming."


Despite that 3) and 5) are a contradiction in terms, I'm not quite sure, 
if this license the author distributes the software under is compliant 
with GPL, is it?

Can anybody give a juridical evaluation!?

Many thanks in advance!
Regards
Volker

P.S.: I don't like closed source and I don't like violations of the GPL 
either, that why I ask.

-- 
8<------------------------------------------------------------
Databases and Distributed Systems Group
Computer Science Department, Darmstadt University of Technology
Wilhelminenstrasse 7, D-64283 Darmstadt, Germany
Email: vsauer at dvs1.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de