Re: Debian i386 freeze

[Philip Hands <phil@hands.com>]

> > > > Package: kdebase              (i386 contrib)
> > > > Maintainer: Stephan Kulow
> > > >   24643  kdebase: We have no licence to distribute KDE binaries when
> > >
> > > Removeable.
> > 
> > Uh.. if you remove kdebase you might as well remove the all kde* packages,
> > since they probably depend on kdebase.
> 
> I could at least move the kde stuff to non-free.  I'm not a legal expert
> but I always thought the GPL could only be applied to the code you write
> and not the code you include.  Thus, the rights required by the GPL only
> apply to the kdebase code and do not have to apply to the library it links
> against.
> 

What does this clause of the GPL mean then:

  For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for
  all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files,
  plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the
  executable.

I think that includes that Qt header files at the very least.

I _think_ the thing about it only being the code you write, is about the 
authors enforcement rights, so the KDE folks certainly do not suddenly get the 
right to enforce any GPL based rights over the Qt source.

Distribution of the KDE source under the GPL is fine too, AFAICS.

The problem comes when we (Debian) take that source, produce a binary using 
the Qt libraries, and then declare in the copyright file that the executable 
is covered by the GPL.  Anyone receiving that binary package, gets with it a 
legal declaration from us (in the form of the GPL) that we will provide them 
with full source for the program, along with the right to modify and 
redistribute that source (a right that is not ours to give).

I see a potential for someone to sue either the package maintainer, Debian, or 
a CD vendor, for misrepresentation of some sort, and I'd rather that didn't 
happen.  As the person making the CD images, I could well be liable, since it 
is my decision to include the packages on the CDs. 

Lets imagine some corporation took the GPL in the kde binary packages at face 
value, and based their next windows product on it, for example ...

Cheers, Phil.



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