% Brief Introduction to the GNU General Public License % Bradley M. Kuhn % Monday 24 March 2014 # Audience Polls + My goal here is to move faster or slower based on audience knowledge. + There are folks in this audience who have worked with this stuff for years, and those who are completely new. + We want these presentations to be valuable to all of you. + Please, don't be embarrassed: + Ever GPL expert in the world, including me, started as a student who knew none of this. # IANAL IANAL # My Affiliations + Formerly had John's job, Executive Director of FSF, years ago. + Currently: on Board of Directors of FSF. + President of Software Freedom Conservancy. # How These Orgs Relate to GPL? + FSF + Invented copyleft. + Authors & stewards of the GPL. + Holder of copyrights on many key GNU programs … + … and therefore enforcers of those copyrights. + Software Freedom Conservancy + Adviser on legal issues of copyright, etc. to Free Software projects. + Holder of some copyrights on its member projects. + Enforcer of GPL on behalf of many copyright holders in: + BusyBox, Samba, Mercurial, and the kernel named Linux. # How this Hour Will Go? + Materials presented will mix the simple & complex. + We cannot possibly cover the entire GPL in one hour. + Discuss: motivations, origins, then a few of GPL's sections. + I understand the mix of backgrounds in the audience. # A Restaurant's Lawyer? + Considering why you want to learn this. + What if your client was a restaurant? + What would you want to need to know? # Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study? + If you were a restaurant's lawyer: + Probably three areas of law you'd focus on: + building codes. + health and safety regulations. + tax regulations. + Who would want to hear from? # Restaurant Lawyer: What'd You Study? + Figure out the motivations behind the building code: + What parts are arcane and less important to inspectors? + How do inspections work? + What are the penalties? + Figure out the same for health & safety: + Who inspects, and when? + What's the health code say, and what checklist do inspectors use? + Is there any way the two interrelate? + Who is in charge of all this? + What was the purpose and intent of these regulations? # Why Listen To Us? + FSF: Understanding the purpose and intent of the GPL. + Conservancy & FSF: + both enforce the GPL. + if your client violates, you will hear from one of us. + Such access to drafters, interpreters, enforcers is likely highly unique. + Someday, someone in this room may (or already has) sit across the table from you in negotiations. + Our transparency does make your job easier. # The Mindset of GPL + GPL protects software freedom. + Ultimate goal: make sure every user has the four freedoms. + Freedom to run the software. + Freedom to study and modify the software. + Freedom to share the software. + Freedom to distribute modified versions. + Every clause in GPL was designed to uphold one of these freedoms. + Or, it's a compromise of drafting in adoption vs. freedom debate. # Using Copyright + GPL is primarily a copyright license. + Software is copyrighted. + License grants key freedoms. + Requirement prohibit activities that take away freedoms. + General concept: copyleft. + Specific implementation: GPL.
> an original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression … from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device

— 17 USC \S~102

# Conditional Permissions + A copyleft license grants copyright permissions, conditionally. + Think of the phrase: “provided that” + “provided that”: appears (in some form) only + 4 times in GPLv2 + 9 times in GPLv3. # Compare To Proprietary Licenses + Yes, the GPL has its requirements. + But *none* of these activities are ever permitted under proprietary licenses. + If you don't like what the GPL requires you to do, then just tell your client to use the proprietary software instead. + That way, they know the answer to every question is “no&;rdquo, + rather than: “yes, but only as long as you …”