Re: a better copyleft licence
On Sun, 1 Oct 2000, Barak Pearlmutter wrote:
> > You all know the sort of problem: according to some people's
> > understanding of the GPL and copyright law, GPL software X cannot be
> > linked with GPL-incompatible software Y and then distributed even if X
> > and Y are separate works in separate packages.
> >
> > Invent yet another licence? I hope not.
>
> I've been pondering this issue. What do people think about the below?
> We're considering using it in some new GPLed software we're
> developing, so I'd appreciate feedback.
>
> This software is licensed under the GPL [... standard boilerplate.]
>
> In addition to the distribution rights granted by the GPL, this
> software may used as a module linked to other modules resulting in a
> whole which constitutes a single work, eg as a library linked into a
> program, even if the entire program is not licensed under terms
> compatible with the GPL, and the resulting work distributed,
> *provided* that the composite work is distributed under
> DFSG-compatible terms.
>
First, GPL has nothing to do with use. You can USE a GPL program with
a non-GPL program, you just can't distribute it under non-GPL terms.
Second, some of the DFSG-compatible terms are explicitly not GPL
compatible (think X license). So, by the above, I could take a GPL
work (that mandates source sharing), link it to something else,
distribute the composite under X License (which is DFSG compatible,
but allows you to take it proprietary), and someone else can
distribute a prorietary version without source, thus violating the
current GPL.
If someone wants to distribute a proprietary module, let them
distribute it separately, and tell the user that it's there
responsibility to link it. Yes, it's a pain on the users, but if you
don't like it, use the GPL.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffry Smith Technical Sales Consultant Mission Critical Linux
smith@missioncriticallinux.com phone:603.930.9739 fax:978.446.9470
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought for today: zorkmid /zork'mid/ n.
The canonical unit of currency in
hacker-written games. This originated in Zork but has spread
to nethack and is referred to in several other games.
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