> You see, under copyright law, if you
> view a copyrighted work and then create
> something like it, you can be charged
> with having created a "derivative" work.
The problem here is that source code is
not the same thing as a song or story.
Even in the most egregious case of "copying"
ever (under much more destructive and
restrictive agreements than the GPL) the case
was not won.
Indeed, it was settled out of court because
it really couldn't be won, and the defendant
just didn't want to bother fighting it anymore.
> Thus, as a commercial programmer, you
> not only cannot use GPLed code in a work
> for which you hope to charge money --
> you also cannot even LEARN FROM that code.
Not true.
If it WERE true, then there would be no need
of patents, and especially, of software
patents.
You need to study more.
But even if you were right, which obviously
you are not, your point is not specific to
the GPL . . . you'd better not look at ANY
computer softare, nor should you use any
GUI . . . lest copyright (which exists without
having to register or in any way mark the
copyrighted work!) catch you out.
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