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GNU General Public License

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Background

GPL or GNU General Public License was the first copyleft license, and is still the most broadly used.

Key Points

Discussion Questions

  1. What is the situation with devices that don’t let users run modified version in the 3rd to last paragraph?
  2. How could a patent be applied to software?
  3. It’s interesting that GPL licensed  software can be used to create proprietary software. Is this for practical reasons?
  4. Microsoft seems to claim that GPL has some viral properties, does non-free software not have these same properties?
  5. How can Stallman justify selling license exceptions to companies? Aren’t they evil?

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