From: Dumas Patrice (dumas@centre-cired.fr)
Date: Tue May 22 2001 - 12:46:13 CEST
On Mon, May 21, 2001 at 08:06:34PM +0200, Michele Andreoli wrote:
> On Mon, May 21, 2001 at 06:44:42PM +0200, olea@hispafuentes.com nicely wrote:
>
> But the problem is real one, because GPL do not allow this mix. I do
> not know if this is a limitation, or an exential component of the GPL
> phylosophy. Someone think this is unnecessary limitation.
>
> The usual workaround is to publish your work under GPL, keeping
> a single limited part out of GPL. Example: I think you can produce
> an addon for muLinux and to sell it, but your addon must not contains
> free software, because you are limiting free software diffusion giving
> less privileges of what you got from free community.
I don't think there is such a limitation on GPL'ed softwares. The GPL apply to
single applications, not to a distribution. As long as you don't restrict the
distribution of GPL'ed softwares that are in a distribution, you may restrict
distribution of other software. The licence apply in a per software basis, I
think.
There are issues with linking in case of libraries, and even CORBA stuff was
under discussion. In that case, the LGPL is a slightly modified GPL that
explicitely permits linking of non free application. I think a lot of library
are under the LGPL.
But maybe you were speaking on an ethical basis, not on a legal basis ? There
are also other licenses such as some of sun's licences that are open source,
and freely modifiable, but not redistributable.
> But if your addon is a good software, it helps the diffusion of
> other free software working together with it, so I'm not contrary
> (Staroffice was an example?)
>
> But your software surely implicitly call X, or call the shell, or
> finally uses kernel's system-call, etc, etc. so: how we can stop
> the recursion?
X isn't under the GPL if I remember well, and kernel system calls may also
be done by not GPL'ed softwares. And the shell may also launch any application.
I am not an expert in law, please don't take what I say as the truth, and don't
think I have carefully read all these licenses, it's so bothering...
Pat
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