[gnu.misc.discuss] The $1,000,000 question

dupuy@cs.columbia.edu (Alexander Dupuy) (07/28/89)

I don't really see a problem with exorbitant media costs.  Since the copyleft
allows anyone to freely redistribute source, a group of people can get a copy
at the ridiculous price, and then make it available at a more reasonable one
(even free, for anonymous ftp).  If the ridiculous price is so ridiculous that
nobody could ever afford it, I think it would be hard to describe it as a
"nominal shipping charge" as used in Par. 3.a of the GPL.

It wouldn't hurt to change the wording in Par. 2.d to read "You may charge a
fair [reasonable?] distribution fee..."

I'm more worried about the precise definition of machine-readable - microfiche
or paper listings might well qualify.

@alex
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