RE: Roaring Penguin's view

Am Mit, 2002-06-12 um 17.14 schrieb Deven T. Corzine:

> The boundary isn't that clear, even in the FSF's interpretation.  Writing 
> an application to an API that's unique to GPL'd code is a "derived work" in 
> their minds.  So is using separate programs and interposing IPC mechanisms, 
> if they believe you're doing it for the purpose of circumventing the GPL.

Where did you pick that up? I have never heard that the purpose of a
program had anything to do with licensing issues. They might condemn you
morally if you try to circumvent the GPL, but I cannot imagine they'd
sue you.

> And when you move from simpler forms of cooperating code, like linking to a 
> library, to more complex forms like COM objects and Web Services, the line 
> gets quite fuzzy indeed.

Well, the GPL may be technologically behind in this respect, as is most
legal stuff when it comes to recent IT developments. I expect the next
version of the GPL to be more clear about these issues.

> Not necessarily, but it's pretty common for libraries to be licensed in 
> such a way that binaries can be linked together and distributed on a 
> royalty-free basis.  That's just industry custom, driven by market demand.  

And it is community custom to make most libraries LGPL or even less
restrictive.

> Unlikely.  It's far more likely that someone (or many) would simply 
> maintain the LGPL branch indefinitely and never use the GPL version.

And it is even more likely, for the same reasons, that the switch to the
GPL will never happen.

Martin

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