Re: Corel's apt frontend

[bruce@perens.com (Bruce Perens)]

From: Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>
> Sure, but a frontend isn't mere aggregation -- in this case if you take
> out the GPLed part of the system, the performance of that front end
> can't happen.

Well, I'd like the law to agree with you, actually. The problem is that
copyright law does not consider _reference_ a form of derivation. This would
give us problem with dynamic libraries, too, except that the headers get
copied into the application.

So, the way to make it work the way you like would be to write your own
additions to the concept of derivation into your license, and make that
license a tear-open contract rather than a straight permission like the GPL.

Unfortunately, the result would not be the GPL and would not ever apply to
anything that's been released up to now. I've yet to get RMS interested
in doing something like this, although I think he'll eventually be convinced
as people work out devices to avoid the GPL.

	Thanks

	Bruce