On Tue, Jul 09, 2002 at 10:36:31PM +0200, Frank Heckenbach wrote:
Rui Miguel Silva Seabra wrote:
I don't know if this documents can (or how easily) be revised, but at least this should be rephrased... it's not just a significant part but any part.
It's a significant part indeed. Insignificant parts, such as a few "usual" lines, are not restricted by copyright (and therefore also not by GPL, of course).
I guess that what is significant is a very subjective thing, since significant may be LOC, minimalistic math skill, etc...
According to the GPL FAQ, size doesn't matter, although it is advised:
* What if the work is not much longer than the license itself? If a single program is that short, you may as well use a simple all-permissive license for it, rather than the GNU GPL.
However, what does it matter if the code is that small but it is the essence of the idea? Can significant only mean LOC ? I don't believe so.
The around 340 lines of the GPL could represent quite some important math theorems (and respective proofs). Are they less significant than a a gigabyte of 1+1.... ?
Still, I've read a couple more paragraphs, and I'm worried because at some parts they seem to indicate the main advantages of the GNU GPL as if they are disadvantages...
Cheers,