  Re: Combining proprietary code and GPL for in-house use  On 27
Jun 2001, Thomas Bushnell, BSG wrote:  >Edmund GRIMLEY EVANS
<edmundo@rano.org> writes: >> (1) The idea that compiling and
linking a program is not restricted by >> copyright; you don't
need special permission to compile and link a >> program once
you have obtained a copy of it. >But this is a confusion.  In
one sense it's true, but in another sense >it's false. >One
might also say that compiling and linking a program is not
>restricted by the murder statute.  But it might well be that
those are >steps in causing some machine to kill a person, and
in that case, >compiling and linking would be a murderous act.
One might, and one might be right.  Remember, the US legal
system is based in the Social Contract theory, where the
Government is given powers by the people, not vice-versa.  This
means that if there isn't a law specifically granting the
Government power, it has none.  >In the instant case, compiling
and linking is not specifically >prohib