Re: bibindex should probably be GPLed.

[Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es>]

On Mon, 31 Jan 2000, Rafael Laboissiere wrote:

> This political problem is my concern here.  I understand that I CAN (if I
> wish) release the modified sources under the GPL.  My specific question here
> is whether I HAVE TO release it under the GPL if I link with the GNU
> Readline library (which is GPL'ed).  Noticed that the original upstream
> code (which is in "public domain") has nothing to do with the Readline
> library, only my modifications are related to it.

I think you have to. By linking bibindex with readline, you are creating
"a work based on readline". According to the GPL under which readline
is distributed, you have to distribute all of the work under GPL.

[ I think a well-known ftp client had to be relicensed to GPL because
  of this reason (linking with readline), so there is a "precedent" ].

So I think you have two choices:

a) Relicense the Debian package to GPL on your own.
   This is legal, public domain may be relicensed to whatever you want.

b) Ask the maintainers to do so. They should not refuse if linking with
   readline is in his TODO list for this package.

Thanks.

-- 
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