Re: Copyright/Distribution questions (Emacs/Orgmode)

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Eli Zaretskii writes:

 > > I am un-willing to allow the users of Org mode to enjoy the
 > > privileges of my changes within the comforts of Emacs.
 > 
 > So it's not GPL, it's "GPL with buts", a.k.a. non-free.

Only the FSF can authorize a "GPL with buts" for Jambunathan's code,
since it is derived from FSF-copyrighted code.  I rather doubt it has
done such a thing.  So the GPL is Jambunathan's decision (implicit in
his original decision to distribute his code by committing to a public
repository), but the "but" is due to Emacs' assignment policy.

Of course, Emacs is (legally and by license) free to make an exception
to the assignment policy.  But it won't, and that's what he counts on.

 > (Arguably, this is my interpretation of his intentionally vague
 > statement above.  But given his unwillingness to explain those
 > restrictions, what other device do I have but interpret that in the
 > most extreme sense?)

That shows your own ill-will, and nothing else.

The simple route is to respect the law, the license, and Emacs' self-
imposed restrictions, and interpret the situation in that light.