Why is Fedora not a Free GNU/Linux distributions?

[Les Mikesell]

Alexandre Oliva wrote:

>> Yes, so if you want to distribute a copy under the GPL, you must agree
>> to its terms, which then cover the entire work.
> 
> But that does not take away any other rights you might have as to
> specific parts.

Rights aren't the issue.  The question is whether you agree to the GPL 
terms, which specify the work-as-a-whole and what you will do with it.

>> But both licenses can't apply at once.
> 
> Why not?  Can't you redistribute a dual-licensed package?  Do you
> think you have to choose between the two licenses before you're
> entitled to redistribute it, and then distribute it only under one of
> the licenses?

I don't see how you can agree to the GPL terms for a copy first, then 
distribute a copy of some dual or other licensed part of it in a way you 
just agreed not to do.  So it's one or the other.

> That's not the way it works.  You have permissions.  You can choose to
> use them any time you like.

Except that you agreed not to in that 2b clause.

> What might happen, in the specific case of licenses with a termination
> clause, is that if you perform some action that contradicts the
> license, you may have your license to the whole terminated.
> 
> If this is what you're getting at, you may indeed be onto something.
> But this is beyond my knowledge of copyright history, and anything I
> say further would be speculation.

It's unlikely that anyone would know which terms you used for which copy 
or when you did it, but I don't see how the agreement to apply the GPL 
restrictions to the work-as-a-whole ever goes away once you make it.

> My point was that you don't have to agree to its terms if you have a
> different license to distribute some particular portion.  You can
> clearly do that.  Your concern is that you might then no longer have
> the GPL permissions as to the whole.  This concern was never clear to
> me.

The point of that work-as-a-whole clause is to get you to agree to apply 
restrictions to other people's work - and your own if you add any. 
That's the reason the GPL is different from other licenses.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com