Picking a license

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

In message
<ca0d6fd3-4883-4a82-bbea-a33c283c42a9 at d12g2000vbr.googlegroups.com>, Patrick 
Maupin wrote:

> On May 14, 9:21 pm, Lawrence D'Oliveiro <l... at geek-
> central.gen.new_zealand> wrote:
>
>> In message <mailman.180.1273860694.32709.python-l... at python.org>, Ed
>> Keith wrote:
>>
>>> I just refuse to use [the GPL] in any code for a client, because I
>>> do not want to require someone who does not know source code from Morse
>>> code code to figure out what they need to do to avoid violating the
>>> license.
>>
>> Why don’t you just put the source code on the same disc you send them,
>> and tell them to pass copies of the entire disc to anyone they want?
> 
> What you would really have to tell them is "don't pass along the
> program *unless* you copy the whole disk."  That's no longer a
> courtesy -- that's a mandate.  By not using the GPL, Ed avoids having
> to mandate to his customer how to treat the software he has delivered
> to them.

But that’s what “copyright” means, it means “right to copy”. It’s his right 
to impose terms on how copies of stuff he created are treated.