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Wrong! No law can have retroactive effects
Contributing to an open-source software, whatever it does, or allow doing, or even if may be used to infringe copyright restrictions, has never been and will not be a crime. Unless there's a new lawthat really forbifs it, and that lawis publicly announced and promulgated. Even in that case, it cannot have aretroactive effect. Be sure that if youcontribute at any time in away forwhich there's noevident way toaffirm that thisactionisillegal, then you can't be guilty of any sort of crime orfraud, or counterfeight, because such association is unknown or not proven at the time of your contribution (or not applicable from the coutnry where you live and where one cannot know exactly what is considered illegal in another country). And in democratic countries, no punitive law can have a retroactive effect. And even if some prohibition is voted, it still requires a minimum period before promulgation in order to verify that the law does not violate constitutional rights, and without publicity and education explaining the new law. The law enters into full force after it, once the governmental decrees are published by the executive power.
Posted by: PhilippeV   Posted on: 12/23/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Wrong AGAIN Batman...  realitycheck101 | 07/15/05
Workers at Ford should be jailed!  Reverend MacFellow | 07/15/05
like you said  toxicfreak | 07/15/05
Not every criminal  Otto_Delete | 07/15/05
Crime?  tic swayback | 07/15/05
He was misled by the article.  Anton Philidor | 07/15/05
You should be ashamed  James T. Kirk | 07/15/05
Thank you for the laughs  voska | 07/15/05
RE: Crime?  richdave | 04/26/06
Sorry...  bchesmer | 07/16/05
Wrong! No law can have retroactive effects  PhilippeV | 12/23/05
Piracy Is Alive And Well In The USA  itanalyst | 07/15/05
Amen  Protector | 07/15/05
Hilary Clinton To Push GTA: San Andreas Sales Through Roof  itanalyst | 07/15/05
She thinks her husband is the only one that can have fun  Protector | 07/15/05
And yet no one is using the new Napster  tic swayback | 07/15/05
My kingdom for a preview function  tic swayback | 07/15/05
Please be clear, ZDNet.  Anton Philidor | 07/15/05
Haven't You Learned By Now ? ZDNET Is King Of FUD.  itanalyst | 07/15/05
Business model  tic swayback | 07/15/05
Good Question tic,  No_Ax_to_Grind | 07/15/05
Maybe not  Yagotta B. Kidding | 07/15/05
So If Grokster Had Released An Open-Source, Free P2P App  itanalyst | 07/15/05
That's my question  tic swayback | 07/15/05
Anger is not a legal reason...  Anton Philidor | 07/15/05
Yes, no and maybe  Real World | 07/15/05
Profiting makes you more visible  voska | 07/15/05
Keep in mind  Yagotta B. Kidding | 07/15/05

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