Re: Press Release on Aryabhatt Linux

[Arun Sharma <adsharma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jun 05, 2000 at 12:18:29AM +0530, Nagarjuna G. wrote:
> ->> 5. GPL requires distribution of source code as well as free
> ->>    download of source code: Under GPL it is mandatory to
> ->>    distribute source code FREE OF COST either on CD's or on ftp
> ->>    sites. As on date Linux Technologies has not made any
> ->>    provisions for the same.  The company also does not have any 
> ->>    ftp sites.
> ->
> ->s/Free of cost/Cost of distribution/
> 
> The cost of the distro is Rs.2100/- with only one CD, and a manual.
> Sources are not provided.

I meant cost of distribution = what it costs them to make a CD or put
up a FTP site. Not in the "Linux distribution" (say redhat) sense.

Relevant quote from GPL (section 3b):

<quote>
b)  Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to
give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically
performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the
corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections
1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
</quote>

This is a badly written (in the legal sense) section, because one could
claim that it costs them 2 million dollars to put up a FTP site and
I don't think this will stand the scrutiny of a court of law.

	-Arun