To FERDY readers: Freeware does NOT equal Free Software

[Guest Elrond]

Hi All,I just finished reading the "FSPlanet is on it again" thread and followed the link to the conversation someone had with Ferdy. In that conversation Ferdy pasted the GNU GPL Free Software license and represented that as a "freeware" license that granted him rights to distribute community files as he wishes. Most know that this most certainly is *NOT* the case, but this argument wasn't made clear in any response...So, I just want to try and make it clear for any readers here that may have been confused by his bizarre tactic (and possibly their own licenses):A (eg: the [link:www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html]GNU GPL]) has absolutely nothing to do with the custom rolled "freeware" licenses that almost all free works in this community are released under, if any. Free Software DOES NOT EQUAL freeware[/b: those are two completely different types of licenses with wholly separate requirements, rights and privileges.In ALL cases, however, a license must be followed for a copyrighted work or all rights granted in the license are revoked. Thats what copyright and contract law (licensing) is all about: granting someone "limited" rights to your product or work under a set of clearly stated and legal freedoms and restrictions. Assuming, that is, that the license a work is released under follows actual existing law. (Unfortunately, most "freeware" licenses in this community have so many holes you can drive a truck through them, but the GNU GPL does not, to date).Fight Ferdy with facts, the law and hopefully a kind lawyer or two in this community that can offer his/her gratis services for a time to harass him in court. He'd most certainly be put in his place once and for all.Take care,ElrondEDIT: WHOOPS! I should have read further into that thread! Steve (Bear) Cartwright *DID* make the difference between Free Software and freeware clear in there. Sorry Steve... I didn't mean to step on your toes and I appreciate your response in there. But even if Ferdy confuses Free Software with freeware (yeah, right), his argument that a Free Software license lacks copyright protection is wholly false: Copyright is what makes the GNU GPL license work.

[Guest Philip Olson]

Thanks Elrond, Your kind explanation of these facts in the past is what lead me to try and find an attorney that would take this on free of charge for these authors. I am sick to death of seeing people take advantage of others by bending or breaking the rules to suit their own goals. I don't know if Ferdy can not actually see the truth or he just won't see it but I would like to make him see it. While I have never released any files to any site, just a few friends, and therefore have never been "wronged" by him I am one that sticks up for people that have been wronged. I do hope that any of you authors that have been wronged will get in touch with me so I can put you in touch with this lawyer, he will do this for free and hopefully your work will be protected in the manner that you wish and required by law. You can contact me by private message or the email address in the other thread. Thanks again Elrond for making it clear what the laws mean since so few people actually have the time to hunt this information down.Take care!Philip

[Guest jaapverduijn]

Well now, the easiest way seems to be a personal conversation with this Ferry individual. I have good experiences with these things. Many is the time that only five minutes of person-to-person explanation led to marvelous results, a good and intense talk being SO much easier to understand for evil-doers than long-distance messages in cyberspace! Jaap Verduijn.

[Guest crashing_pilot]

>Well now, the easiest way seems to be a personal conversation>with this Ferry individual. I have good experiences with these>things. Many is the time that only five minutes of>person-to-person explanation led to marvelous results, a good>and intense talk being SO much easier to understand for>evil-doers than long-distance messages in cyberspace! >>Jaap Verduijn. umm...Jaap....if you pull that one off with Ferdy,i'll be astonished.imho the guy is a rat,and rats are to be exterminated.(i don't know about you,but i do most certainly not talk with rats ;-) )regards.