[net.emacs] GNU

ryding@trwrba.UUCP (Mark A. Ryding) (09/18/85)

----------------------------
A little while back, a posting was made stating the availability of an
emacs for something like $150.  Is that right?  So, my question is
this, is it available for VAX/VMS (OK so yuck)?  If so, where do I send
my bucks?  All help is greatly appreciated.

Mark Ryding
{...trwrb!trwrba!ryding}

mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse) (05/25/86)

In article <8605202356.AA12789@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, bogstad@HOPKINS-EECS-BRAVO.ARPA ("William J. Bogstad") writes:
> In <2633@teddy.uucp> John Nelson says:
>> I recently obtained a copy of BISON (the GNU yacc equivalent).  It appears
>> that every C file genrated by BISON contains the GNU copyright.
>>
>> Richard didn't seem very upset when I suggested that I couldn't use
>> BISON if I had to give away the generated C program.  In fact, He was
>> quite pleased (something like:  He was just as pleased as if a gun he'd
>> manufactured couldn't be used for murder).
Probably an accurate analogy.
> Why not have GNU Emacs insert a copyright into everything it
> produces?  Or at least your C code since you are using the auto
> formatting of c-mode aren't you?

     My first point is that  as I recall, there is  nothing  in  the GNU
terms  to prohibit  you from  modifying the  software; so why not modify
BISON and  take out the extra notice?   PLEASE NOTE:  I  do not actually
advise this.   First reason is that it is  a  pretty sleazy thing to do.
Second is that  if, as you say Stallman said, the  generated C code does
contain something RMS wrote,  there is probably some  way  the FSF could
get  you in legal trouble if you do this.    Third reason might  not  be
valid; but, is  there anything in BISON besides  the normal GNU  notice?
He  may have put additional restrictions on BISON, such as, you may  not
take out the generated copyright notice.

     Another possible solution is to put the  generated parser into some
product and then sell the  result.  All that you would  have to do is be
prepared  to give  away the  generated parser, presumably pretty useless
without the rest of the  package.  Or  am I forgetting something  in the
GNU notice?  It's been a while since I read it.

     The  analogy with c-mode does  not hold water since c-mode does not
insert  anything   written  by  anyone  else,  at  least  not   anything
complicated  enough  to be  covered by copyright  (hey you,  I  hold the
copyright on those three blank spaces :-).

     However, I hope that RMS takes this bit of insanity out.   The idea
of  GNU,  as I  understand  it,  is  to remove  operating  systems,  not
applications  programs,  from the domain  of  software  competition.   I
cannot see that the copyright generated by BISON helps this  aim any; if
anything, it hinders it  by  making  some potential users  unable to use
BISON.
-- 
					der Mouse

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