Extra Credit Paper

GNU GPL by the FSF

Matthew Banks

CINT 201
Professor Daniel Powers

May 5, 2010

Extra Credit Paper: GNU GPL by the FSF

What is free software?

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) describes ‘free software’, as a source of

computer liberation by allowing productive accessibility, without restrictions. To
have and use software for any purpose at the discretion of the user, the inherent
ability to change said software to suit one self’s needs to conduct a desired
outcome, and most importantly the inhibited ability to openly share altered and
original software without aversion with anyone possible.

The freedom describes the ability to do so for any purpose, educational or scientific,
a permanent availability of source code, and redistribution rights of original and
modified content. Changes made in private use not intended designed or actually
redistributed, is allowable in any environment, without repercussion from copyright
infringement. Open source operability is scalable for any intention without
requirement of status notices communicated with original developers with any and
every protection therein applicable to any recipient without imposition. (GNU.ORG,
2010)

To be included are the “binary or executable forms of the program, as well as

source code, for both modified and unmodified versions.” if applicable within the
confines of a specific programming language. (GNU.ORG, 2010)

What does the term 'copy-left' mean?

Software that is under copyright, is protected by a means of alteration rights,
privileges and specific actions of distribution as to allow credit where it is deserved
in the instance of kernel alterations, adversely protecting the rights of the user to
maintain the open source architecture in the way restriction protects unalterable
programs, allowing freedom to alter source code.

Programs modified, extended and altered in any fashion are successively free for
distribution, without copyrights existing in public domain allowing shared
improvement, just as equally giving the right to saboteurs or competitive individuals
to revamp a program until creating proprietary software. In such the case of
proprietary software, users have a legal inability to alter the software under the
protection of copyright.

The intention of a ‘copy-left’ is to share the liberty of code alteration, of GNU

software, in the instances of educational and security development, as well as the
lesser application of proprietary software developed for case specific scenarios.
Though the heritage of a code may change with changes made by developers, the
lineage remains the same, the freedom to continue replications and alterations for
each generation of a code.

Contributed improvements provide an incentive for continued development, often

primarily because the improved software distribution is free of proprietary copyright
in accordance with the GPL. An employer usually chooses to publish the new and
improved software rather than throwing it away, giving the vendor the opportunity
to profit from technical support and earn a reputation as productive contributors to
successful programming, such as with a multitude of Linux distributions.

What is the purpose of the GPL?

The GPL serves the purpose to maintain a proactive defense of users’ ‘copy-left’,
maintaining an aversion to detrimental deconstruction or compartmentalization of
the rights of source code developers from Tivoization, legal software distribution
prohibitions and unfair and discriminatory patent deal that would monopolize any
aspect pertinent to user access and a programs progress and development. Overall,
the GPL acts as protection of user rights from hardware, litigious and legacy
monopolies.

How does the GPL make sure software stays 'free software'?

The GNU General Public License (GPL) ensures the continuation of the ‘free
software’ cycle by making it so that “Developers who write software can release it
under the terms of the GNU GPL. When they do, it will be free software and stay
free software, no matter who changes or distributes the program.” (GNU.ORG,
2010)

What is 'Tivoization' and how does it relate to 'free software'?

Tivoization is a discriminatory act by vendors often in tandem with large software

companies to monopolize a market by using vendor specific hardware designed to
allow only the hardware manufacturers to change software in current systems as
well as inevitably run third-party privacy invasion that thwarts a user from fully
utilizing a workstation at their own discretion.

What are some differences between the GPLv2 and the GPLv3?

Improvements that have come with the new GPLv3 slightly differ. Most readily
addressable is a newer and more concise license made for a wider audience to
understand the intentions, purpose and restrictions, or lack thereof, of GNU GPLv3,
in the aspect of utilization by users and developers. Specifically GPLv3 allows
scripting of any variation of code. Digital restrictions code can be openly developed
and distributed by GPL, to protect distribution effects, but if code is developed to
circumvent protections, then no legal actions can be taken against the writer of that
code, not stifling innovation of scripting, just allowing the diversion of current
restrictions. It also maintains a mandate that procedures to adjust and install
firmware be openly available to the public, through a haze of cryptographic barriers
and the availability of a current GPL code in need of alteration. Version 3 also
requires that GPL code be verified GPL or be vulnerable to copyright. (GNU.ORG,
20010)

Works Cited

GNU.ORG. (2007, June 29). A Quick Guide to GPLv3. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from
GNU.ORG: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html

GNU.ORG. (2010, May 5). The Free Software Definition. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from
www.gnu.org: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

GNU.ORG. (2009, Dec 31). What is Copyleft? Retrieved May 5, 2010, from
www.gnu.org: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html