copyright statutes.  A term like ``distribute'' (or its equivalent in

languages other than English) is also used in several national copyright

statutes.  Practical experience with GPLv2 revealed the awkwardness of using

the term ``distribution'' in a license intended for global use: the scope of

``distribution'' in the copyright context can differ from country to country.

The GPL never necessarily intended the specific meaning of ``distribution''

that exists under USA (or any other country's) copyright law.

Indeed, even within a single country and language, the term distribution may

be ambiguous; as a legal term of art, distribution varies significantly in

meaning among those countries that recognize it.  For example, comments

during GPLv3's drafting process indicated that in at least one country,

distribution may not include network transfers of software but may include

interdepartmental transfers of physical copies within an organization.

Meanwhile, the copyright laws of many countries, as well as certain

international copyright treaties, recognize ``making available to the

public'' or ``communication to the public'' as one of the exclusive rights of

copyright holders.

Therefore, the GPLv3 defines the term ``propagate'' by reference to activities

that require permission under ``applicable copyright law'', but excludes

execution and private modification from the definition.  GPLv3's definition

also gives examples of activities that may be included within ``propagation''

but it also makes clear that, under the copyright laws of a given country,

``propagation'' may include other activities as well.

Thus, propagation is defined by behavior, and not by categories drawn from

some particular national copyright statute.  This helps not only with

internationalization, but also factually-based terminology aids in

developers' and users' understanding of the GPL\@.

As a further benefit, because ``propagation'' includes all

exclusive rights granted under any particular copyright regime, the term

automatically  accounts for all exclusive rights under that regime.

\subsection{Convey}

Next, GPLv3 defines a subset of propagate --- ``convey''.

Conveying includes activities that constitute propagation of copies to

others.  As with the definition of propagate, GPLv3 thus addresses transfers

of copies of software in behavioral rather than statutory terms.  

Any propagation that enables other parties to receive or make copies of the

work, is called ``conveying''.  Usually, conveying is the activity that

triggers most of the other obligations of GPLv3.

\subsection{Appropriate Legal Notices}

GPLv2 used the term ``appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of

GPLv2 and other licenses that grant software freedom showed throughout the

1990s that the scope of types of notices that need preservation upon

conveyance were more broad that merely the copyright notices.  The

Appropriate Legal Notice definition consolidates the material that GPLv2

traditionally required preserved into one definition.

\subsection{Other Defined Terms}

Note finally that not all defined terms in GPLv3 appear in GPLv3~\S0.

Specifically, those defined terms that are confined in use to a single

section are defined in the section in which they are used, and GPLv3~\S1

contains those definitions focused on source code.  In this tutorial, those

defined terms are discussed in the section where they are defined and/or

used.

\section{GPLv3~\S1: Understanding CCS}

\label{GPLv3s1}

Ensuring that users have the source code to the software they receive and the

freedom to modify remains the paramount right embodied in the Free Software

Definition (found in \S~\ref{Free Software Definition} of this tutorial).  As

such, GPLv3~\S1 is likely one of the most important sections of GPLv3, as it

contains all the defined terms related to this important software freedom.

\subsection{Source Code Definition}

First, GPLv3~\S1 retains GPLv2's definition of ``source code'' and adds an

explicit definition of ``object code'' as ``any non-source version of a

work''.  Object code is not restricted to a narrow technical meaning and is

understood broadly to include any form of the work other than the preferred

form for making modifications to it.  Object code therefore includes any kind

of transformed version of source code, such as bytecode or minified

Javascript.  The definition of object code also ensures that licensees cannot

escape their obligations under the GPL by resorting to shrouded source or

obfuscated programming.

\subsection{CCS Definition}

\label{CCS Definition}

The definition of CCS,\footnote{Note that the preferred term for those who

  work regularly with both GPLv2 and GPLv3 is ``Complete Corresponding

  Source'', abbreviated to ``CCS''.  Admittedly, the word ``complete'' no

  longer appears in GPLv3 (which uses the word ``all'' instead).  However,

  both GPLv2 and the early drafts of GPLv3 itself used the word ``complete'',

  and early GPLv3 drafts even called this defined term ``Complete

  Corresponding Source''.  Meanwhile, use of the acronym ``CCS'' (sometimes,

  ``C\&CS'') was so widespread among GPL enforcers that its use continues

  even though GPLv3-focused experts tend to say just the defined term of