This is my original email to Richard Stallman

This is part of the Free Software as Lego Article.

Richard Stallman sent two replies, each addressing a different aspect of the question.
His first applies to a question of modifying GPL code, and is available here.
His second reply applies to the article in general, and is available here.

From: Steve Parker 
To: rms@gnu.org
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 15:32:09 +0000
Subject: Clarification of GPL for user article

Mr Stallman,

I am not a journalist, no great programmer, but a user of Free Software. 
I am writing an article comparing and contrasting Free Software with Lego, 
the children's toy based around small plastic interconnecting bricks.
I feel that the Open Source movement have made unclear to many people what 
free software is all about, and that this analogy is a new and relevant way 
to express the principles of Free Software to these people, and to others.

I would like to take a moment of your time, if you could spare me some, in 
order to make this article as accurate as possible.

I attach a draft of the abstract for your interest. I would be interested in 
your views on this angle.
The article is intended to be published at 
http://steve-parker.org/articles/lego.shtml

The writing of this article has brought up again for me a question regarding 
the GPL, to which I hope you will provide me with an answer, both for my own 
curiosity, and to ensure the accuracy of the article.
My query is about the modification and non-distribution of GPL software. I 
shall, if I may, give two similar example scenarios:

Scenario 1) I modify GPL code - eg emacs - to suit my own needs, purely to 
use the modified binary on my own system. I never intend, and never do, 
distribute this in any form.
My own interpretation of the GPL is that I am free to do this. 
Would you also see this as a morally acceptable use of GPL code? 
Would this view be the same if by distributing the code I would weaken my 
commercial prospect (eg, competitors could glean information about my 
business practices, security configuration, etc, from the modified code)?

Scenario 2) I modify GPL code - eg a CGI library - to suit my own needs for 
use on a publicly-available web server. This code is being run, by the 
general public, on my web server. Should I, in this case, make the code 
available? Under the GPL, must I?

I thank you for your valuable time, 

Regards,

Steve Parker
steve@steve-parker.org
http://www.steve-parker.org/