Re: [Fsfe-uk] Re: [discuss] Open source software News

[Timothy Baldwin]

On Saturday 13 March 2004 07:55, Tom Yates wrote:

> Not only are GPL and Crown Copyright *not* self-contradictory, copyright
> is required in order for the GPL to apply.
>
> I don't want to seem deliberately picky, but I think it's worth making the
> point that free software licences *require* a working copyright system in
> order to function.

But Free Software licences are only needed whilst a significant proportion of 
software producers want to restrict our freedoms, they have the means to do 
so (eg copyright law, contracts, and patents), and there is nothing stopping 
them doing so (eg a copyleft law).

> A lot of people, particularly laymen, misunderstand 
> that point and I think that's one of the most common causes of the
> accusation of "socialism" that we seem to have to defend against on a
> regular basis.

Free software is socialistic, being the abolition of property relations over 
computer software,  For a lengthy argument see 
http://www.oekonux.org/texts/marketrelations.html

-- 
Member AFFS, WYLUG, SWP (UK), ANL, RESPECT, Leeds SA, Leeds Anti-war coalition
No to software patents!    No to DRM/EUCD - hands off our computers!

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