virtual machine redistribution

[colsandurz]

Hello,

I am curious about exactly what the GPL applies to. I know someone who has a copy of openSuSE, and therefor has agreed to the GPL license.

He has made modifications to the distro, "repackaged it" he says. I assume this means he has just added/removed/configured packages on the vm. Does he own the copyright on the vm? Can he forbid people that he gives a copy of the vm to from redistributing it?

[Bölvaður]

He has made modifications to the distro, "repackaged it" he says. I assume this means he has just added/removed/configured packages on the vm. Does he own the copyright on the vm? Can he forbid people that he gives a copy of the vm to from redistributing it?

No he does not have copyright over anything that has been GPLed. If he modifies the code then the new version he wrote is also GPLed and anyone can ask for and receive the source code, if that doesn't hold he is breaking copyright laws.

GPL is a copyright (copyleft) and has to be followed.

I dont know about redistributing. There might be programs he owns on there, I have no idea.