Re: Re (2): testing before a release

[Brad Cox]

On Friday, November 16, 2001, at 04:56 PM, Stuart Ballard wrote:
> The GPL gives you permission to modify any GPL'd program as much as you
> like, so long as you don't distribute the result. (Technically I'm not
> sure whether it is the GPL or copyright law that gives this permission,
> but you have it).

Speaking only for U.S. Copyright Law, the owner has the right to regulate 
both replication (copy right) AND use (performance right; e.g. invocation 
of software). These rights can be bundled and if desired, sold, in any 
combination the owner wants.

So its not copyright law that "gives" this permission, but GPL.