Why your next project should be public domain

Re:Why your next project should be public domain by steveklabnik on Thursday July 11, 2013 @10:16AM (#6026125)

It depends on what kind of license it is: if it's an end-user license, then yes, you do (in theory) have to abide by it.

You're right that if it's just a copyright on the source code, then it's probably a restriction on redistribution, which means you couldn't _use_ that code for evil and then share it with others. But using it for evil for yourself: totally fine.

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Re:Why your next project should be public domain by pbnjay on Thursday July 11, 2013 @10:37AM (#6026256)

For an end-user license, sure. But even so the license restrictions only apply to the _recipients_. So if I'm the NSA and use GPL code, and only distribute it to NSA colleagues, I only have to provide my NSA colleagues with the license and code. (IANAL, but seems pretty clear to me on this)

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Re:Why your next project should be public domain by tjaerv on Thursday July 11, 2013 @10:45AM (#6026317)

The notion that the NSA would deem it worth their while to go out of their way to honor GPL legalese seems not a little …optimistic.

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