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Re: [LUG] Debian: GFDL-licensed works without unmodifiable sections are free

 

On Sun, 2006-03-12 at 12:14 +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
> Each section only contains my personal opinion of the topic at hand
> and I've used the invariant section because allowing others to change
> those sections would be to misrepresent my opinion - that isn't a case
> of restricting freedom, it's about protecting the individual. It's no
> good allowing someone to change the section on patents to negate the 
> arguments against software patents.

Doesn't the GPL already say I have to make my changes obvious?  "You
must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices stating that
you changed the files and the date of any change."

I couldn't take a GPLed document that contained a section on software
patents, and change it to negate the arguments, without stating that I'd
changed it.  If I didn't record my changes I'd be violating the licence,
and possibly the law (misrepresentation?).

I'm not actually against the GFDL, personally, I just see no need for
it.  If you really don't want anybody to change a text, why not put it
in a separate document under a non-free licence?

        bma

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