Comment to the interpretation of the GPL-2.0

The answers are based on the assumption that the manufacturer's goal is to fulfill all license conditions in order to be able to copy and distribute the software in the future without violating copyright. In the case of exclusive own use, the considerations made here are irrelevant.

The question if the manufacturer must set out all conditions to enable the customer to install software on the device refers to the interpretation of the explanations given in GPL-2.0 clause 3 with the following original wording:

The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable.

which requires that all installation scripts have to be provided as well. In the answers of the seminar questions the GPL-2.0 is interpreted in a way that the obligation to enable installation – although not explicitly stated in the GPL-2.0 – can be derived from the “spirit” of the license contract. An interpretation of contracts according to the purpose of the rule will probably lead to the conclusion that the user must be enabled to reinstall modified GPL software. Such supplementary interpretation of contracts is obvious at least for the application of German contract law and is therefore taken as a basis here.