I'm sorry I was unclear. You are correct I didn't intend to imply otherwise. My point was more specific to the case at hand. If Google distributes the code to say an end-consumer, they need to be prepared to distribute the source as well. That consumer can then provide that source to any of Google's competitors and they can make use of it in their own products. In most of these cases a company like Google would probably stop wasting time and simply make the source for any consumer products easily accessible by all.

However, Google need not provide the source to people that they do not distribute the code to (well obviously there are differences between e.g. GPLv2 and GPLv3, but whatever this isn't a legal analysis). For example, if Google uses it internally they may not need to release the source to anyone at all. They're all important points that more people need to understand, but they aren't really the ones that I was making in this thread and none of them are really specific to Google vs. other companies.

Incorrect, under GPLv3 if you do not distribute the source with the object, anyone with a copy of the object code is entitled to request the source code if you do not distribute the object code with the source code. I.e. if those friends give it to someone else your obligation to provide source follows the object to someone else. (This is a short and incomplete summary of section 6).

GPLv2 is even more stringent, if you do not accompany the source with the object than any third party with or without access to the object is entitled to request the source code. (This is a short and incomplete summary of section 3).

I was not commenting on GPLv3. But even so, your first paragraph does not contradict what I wrote. You're also incorrect: there is no transitivity to providing source. Section 6 makes clear that if your offer of source relies on someone else's server (i.e. you are redistributing the work but do not control the location where the source is available): "Regardless of what server hosts the Corresponding Source, you remain obligated to ensure that it is available for as long as needed to satisfy these requirements". These clauses in the GPL cover you the person distributing a copy of the work, not "them" (the people who gave you a copy of the work).

You're incorrect about GPLv2. Section 3 states that if you distribute the work "in object code or executable form", you have to do one of 3 possible things:

  1. accompany the object/executable with machine readable code
  2. accompany the object/executable with a written offer of access to machine readable code
  3. accompany the object/executable with the same information you received with the object/executable. (This option is only available for non-commercial distribution)

So you're simply completely wrong about this.

So we agree we're talking about the second option in GPLv2 then right? Here is the relevant text with the relevant portion emphasized (in italics since hn doesn't have bold).

> b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

GPLv3 has transitivity not GPLv2, but GPLv2 doesn't need it because it already specified any 3rd party.

Edit: Reread what you wrote, GPLv3 b (i.e. written offers) has transitivity, I do think that GPLv3 d does not (but does distribute the source simultaneously with the binary in some sense).

Yes, if you exercise the seond option, the offer would be open to any 3rd party (i.e. it's a public server / URL).

But you only have to give the offer to whomever you give the object/executable to. So you tell them "you can get the source from foo://bar.baz/phaf" ... this just has to be a publically accessible address with no additional authentication or authorization. You are not required to announce this in any way other than in the written offer which accompanies the object/executable.

So, although in theory any third party has access to the source code, you are not being required to put it in a publically visible location, merely a publically accessible one.

[EDIT: I was saying that GPLv3 also does not have transitivity,so we agree about that ]

[EDIT: I admit that I am misleading in my final sentence ... yes, any third party has the right to access the source code, but you are not required to notify "any third party" of this fact, only those you gave the object/executable to. ]