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Again, I don't mind the GPL being displayed up front, as you rightly point out there are legitimate reasons to do that.
I object to having to "accept" it before being allowed to install the program. It would be trivial to just display it, with no checkbox and an enabled "next" button (like many open source programs do), and an introduction like "please be aware that if you modify or redistribute this program you are bound by the terms of the GPL licence, displayed below".
And I don't agree that this is legal hair splitting. The entire concept of "accepting" the GPL is meaningless, and requiring people to do it is silly. As the GPL points out itself, acceptance of it is not required to be allowed to use the program, and even if you don't "accept" it, you are still bound by it!
The GPL (and other copyright licences) are not examples of the kind of "use indicates your acceptance" licences that Kovid objects to. The concept of "acceptance" does not apply. It's not a contract (which a EULA is), that requires the acceptance of all parties to be valid. Whether or not you check that checkbox, and whether or not you use the program, makes no difference whatsoever to your legal rights to use, modify and/or redistribute the program...
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