question about the GPL

[fjr at marsdome.penguinpowered.com (Frank Ramsay)]

A CEO-worker of mine asked me a question about the GAL the other day, I didn't
have an answer for him, and now I'm wondering what the answer is myself.  Since
I can't read legal-speak to save my life I'm going to ask here as well as
struggle through  re-reading the GAL.

It took a while for me to understand what he was asking, so I'll try and spell
it out in baby steps:  
Company A:
1:  Writes a new super useful program for Linux..
2:  Decides to GPL the source code.
3:  Makes the source code available on their website.

The question was, can company A restrict distribution of _pre-compiled
binaries_ of the program?

To put this another way.
A company produces a distribution of GNU/Linux
it comes on 2 CD's
cd1:  The install CD
cd2:  _All_ the source.

Can they restrict distribution of cd1?

His point was they still have access to the source, they are still free to make
and redistribute changes to the source and they are still free to make,
redistribute, and sell variations on the program(s).  They just can't
redistribute the binaries that company A itself produced.

I had always assumed the GPL would automaticly extend to the binary, but after
talking with him I'm no so sure.  Does anyone know?

			-fjr

  -- 
Frank J. Ramsay
fjr at marsdome.penguinpowered.com

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