sergio masci wrote:
> All this GPL stuff is so much BS.
>
> Copyright works because governments recognise it, in fact one of the 
> things the UN was set up to supervise was... yes you've guessed it 
> copyright.
>
> Some a*hole can't just invent copyleft and expect it to have the same 
> legal weight as copyright. Oh yes I forgot they've thrown up a smoke 
> screen by devising the GPL, which in my mind holds even less water.
>   
Under copyright law the default state is that other than a few very 
limited fair use/fair dealing rights you are not allowed to copy. If you 
want to copy then you need a license from the copyright holder. That is 
where the GPL comes in. If you don't like it you are free to negotiate 
with the copyright holder to see if they are prepared to offer you an 
alternative license.

> Secoyndly, if anyone were mad enough to try to enforce GPL through 
> litigation, the most they could hope to win are damages.
I'm not sure what the situation is in the UK but in many countries there 
are rather high "statutory damages" availible in copyright infringement 
cases regardless of what the actual damages are. There are also 
injunctions to consider.
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