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Re: Legal stuf, GPL, ...
Hello there, Aviram.
Tuesday, January 04, 2000, 5:10:24 PM, you wrote:
AJ> Interesting issue IMO. I'd like to pursue this a bit further...
AJ> You all mentioned that I 'must' publish the source code if I use a GPL
AJ> source code in my app. How hard must I work to publish this code? Is it
AJ> enough to:
What I heard (and please note, this was from a programmer, not a
lawyer) about the GPL in such matters is that contrary to popular
belief, if I use GPLed code *I need not make my code GPL*. What I
*do* need to do is to make the code *freely available*, under any
free license. This of course does not mean that I can change the
license of GPL components I am using; it means *my* portions of the
code need not be GPL (but do have to be free).
I realize that (a) you specifically hadn't implied that this is not
the case (though others did), and (b) I have not answered your
question about what constitutes making code freely available.
The reason I am writing this post, though, is that the point I bring
is often overlooked, and lots of Stallman-haters out there tend to
yell about the viral tendencies of the GPL while these don't really
exist (at least not in this sense).
My source for this information reputedly heard this directly from
Stallman himself in private correspondence. I'm sorry I'm bringing
tales and not facts, but I haven't analyzed the GPL myself (I don't
think I could if I wanted), and I suspect that if you need real
legal advice you should get a real lawyer. Lame, ain't I today? :-)
--
believing is seeing
gaal@forum2.org
http://www.forum2.org/gaal/
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