Philip S Tellis wrote:
Can I take a GPL software, modify it and give it the name I wish to? I do not mind keeping the credits of the people who have already done the project, but can I become the copyright owner of the new software? I wish to release the modified software also under GPL.
You can change the name, but you cannot become the copyright owner. Remeber that the code that you're using is already owned by someone else. You own the copyright only on the new code you own.
I would really like to get this part properly spelt out. If there's a project foobar that is distributed under the GPL. If I use code from that in my own project framitz, I know I am supposed to distribute framitz under the GPL as well. But I get to keep the copyright for framitz, right?
But what's the definiton of "part of the code"? I could copy the entire source tree and modify a few lines of code here and there, and still say "part of the code" is from foobar ...
Have a look at the libyahoo2 site for an example. http://libyahoo2.sourceforge.net/
You have link that says "GNU GPL", to a file called "Copying" ... shouldn't you customise it to reflect your copyright notice and project name?
Sameer.
PS: Writing this mail in Mozilla just to have a look-see. I conclude mutt is far far better. Never again!