[Fsf-friends] Re: [fsug-kochi-discuss] Re: {Arun M] Another world is possible

[gnu@vsnl.net]

  I am afraid you are wrong here. GPL'd software need not be open to 
  any third party. ie, If I sell you  a GPL'd software I should give 
  you the source also  along with the  binary. But I  need not give  
  your friend the source of same same software till he purchases it. 

Thanks. I stand corrected. I quote sec 3.

   You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,    
   under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms 
   of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the 
   following:

    * a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software 
    interchange; or, 


    * b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three 
    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your 
    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete 
    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be 
    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium 
    customarily used for software interchange; or,

    [....]

The important point to note is that the first para says "...you also 
do *one* of the following..". Since the party involved is already
distributing source to the customers, (which is (a)), he does not
need to do (b).

thanks Dileep, for pointing this error out.

best regards
ramakrishnan