Re: [GNU-linux-libre] telegram clients

[Richard Stallman]

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  > according to my understanding of the GPL, if the authors of that
  > software had the right to release it under the GPL, and they did
  > in fact release it under the GPL, then they have in fact, granted
  > to the entire world, explicit and irrevocable permission to
  > modify and re-distribute the implementation, for any purpose -
  > therefore, any proprietary claims which they may otherwise have
  > had on the protocol/API, would be effectively forfeited, WRT
  > anyone who has a copy of that implementation

IANAL, but I am pretty sure that is mistaken.  Legally, use of the
program source code is one thing, and permission to talk to the API is
another.  They are independent issues.

The API conditions don't seem to be designed for programs that run
on a GNU-like system, though.  They assume there is an "app store".

Let's not continue arguing about this, please.
There isn't a problem here we need to do anything about.
Let's not let it eat up our time.

-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
Chief GNUisance of the GNU Project (https://gnu.org)
Founder, Free Software Foundation (https://fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)