GPL Grant of License
The first place in its terms and conditions that the GPL mentions its license grant is in the negative:
Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. (GPL section 0.)
Thus are the first three exclusive rights of a copyright owner from 17 U.S.C. § 106 introduced. (Refer to the discussion of the exclusive rights of copyright owners in Chapter 2.) The license grant is stated in an affirmative way later in the GPL:
You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided.... (GPL section 1.)
You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on ...
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