From 40fa2e6685f84b866f73fa551ccb25961d407457 2015-03-13 16:58:02 From: Bradley M. Kuhn Date: 2015-03-13 16:58:02 Subject: [PATCH] Clarify who "most people" meant, drop UCITA ref. The intent of this text was to point out that most users don't actually believe they get warranties, which is still surely correct, given that GPL disclaims warranties in the same manner nearly every software license -- proprietary or free -- does anyway. Also, the forward-reference to the later section's discussion of UCC should be hinted at here. There is no explicit reference to UCC made here, but it is encompassed in "many local laws", since the later section mentions the specific section of UCC involved. Meanwhile, the reference to UCITA is dropped, but perhaps it should be reintroduced in other text in the main warranty section. UCITA has had much less policy impact than was expected when the original version of this text was written. It might be useful to ask policy folks and attorneys from Maryland and Virginia who might be able to help explain what impact UCITA has had being on the books only there. --- diff --git a/gpl-lgpl.tex b/gpl-lgpl.tex index 4e23393f07ed583b5e588800d71ff7c0edafc2c3..ab34de297747c449d91ce24cc30840358a0f1a34 100644 --- a/gpl-lgpl.tex +++ b/gpl-lgpl.tex @@ -1123,13 +1123,13 @@ throughout the GPL, there are specific references to the importance of notifying others down the distribution chain that they have rights under GPL. -Also mentioned by name is the warranty disclaimer. Most people today do -not believe that software comes with any warranty. Notwithstanding -\href{http://mlis.state.md.us/2000rs/billfile/hb0019.htm}{Maryland's} and \href{http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?001+ful+SB372ER}{Virginia's} UCITA bills, there are few or no implied warranties with software. -However, just to be on the safe side, GPL clearly disclaims them, and the -GPL requires re-distributors to keep the disclaimer very visible. (See -Sections~\ref{GPLv2s11} and~\ref{GPLv2s12} of this tutorial for more on GPL's -warranty disclaimers.) +GPL disclaims all warranties that legally can be disclaimed (which is +discussed later in sections~\ref{GPLv2s11} and~\ref{GPLv2s12}). Users +generally rarely expect their software comes with any warranties, since +typically all EULAs and other Free Software licenses disclaim warranties too. +However, since many local laws require ``consipicous'' warranty disclaimers, +GPLv2~\S1 explicitly mentions the importance of keeping warranty disclaimers +in tact upon redistribution. Note finally that GPLv2~\S1 creates groundwork for the important defense of commercial freedom. GPLv2~\S1 clearly states that in the case of verbatim