Re: [Gimp-developer] GIMP project's official statement on SourceForge's actions

[Simone Karin Lehmann <simone lisanet de>]

Hi,

please don’t get me wrong, I don’t like software bundled with adware, toolbars or anything like that.

But...


> An acceptable approach would be to provide a method for *any* project to
> cease hosting at any SourceForge site if desired, including the ability to:
>
>
> * completely remove the project and URLs permanently, and not allow any
>  other projects to take its place
>
> * remove any hosted files from the service, and not maintain mirrors
>  serving installers or files differing from those provided by the
>  project or wrap those in any way
>
> * provide permanent HTTP redirects (301) to any other location as
>  desired by the project


… how do these statements comply to the GPL? 

Doesn’t the GPL give everybody the rights to redistribute GPL’ed software in binary form as long as they 
fulfill the other requirements (providing source code)?

IMO, claiming not to set up a mirror with GPL’ed software for redistribution and not allowing other projects 
to redistribute GPL’ed software is AFAIK not compliant with the GPL. Even bundling GPL’ed software with 
proprietary software is possible as long as its not linked against GPL’ed libs. 

So how can a project which develops and publishes GPL’ed software ask somebody to give up the rights the GPL 
grants?

Or am I missing the point?

Regards
Simone Karin