From: "M. Edward (Ed) Borasky" <znmeb@...>
Date: 2007-10-15T15:12:44+09:00
Subject: Re: MIT vs. Ruby/GPL License

Jeremy Henty wrote:
> On 2007-10-15, Jon Lambert <jlsysinc@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Jeremy Henty wrote:
>>> The GPL gives the *user* *complete* freedom. It restricts *other*
>>> activities, such as distributing a derived work, but it imposes no
>>> restrictions on simply using the software.
>> Using that limited definition of user, one who "simply uses the
>> software", most proprietary licenses also give the user complete
>> freedom.
> 
> Including the freedom to install and run the software *without* paying
> anything for it?  I think not.  And at my last office job I didn't see
> any proprietary software whose license did not restrict either the
> number of installation hosts or the number (total or concurrent) of
> users.  GPL software has no such usage restrictions.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jeremy Henty 
> 
> 
Most proprietary end-user licenses explicitly forbid running the 
software under a debugger, disassembling it, or benchmarking it and 
publishing the timing results, even if you paid for it. It's not just 
distribution you can't legally do.