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Re: Non-free interpreted program based on a GPL library



Le dim 25/08/2002 à 21:20, Jeff Licquia a écrit :

> To be clearer: let's say libmysqlclient is GPLed (I don't know for
> sure), and Python has a GPL-compatible license (which it does as far as
> I can tell).  Now, let's assume a proprietary program named "foo",
> written in Python.
> 
> Granted all this, it's legal to write Python bindings for libmysqlclient
> and distribute them.  It's also legal to write and distribute foo (under
> the limitations of its license and Python's, of course); the mere
> existence of libmysqlclient bindings doesn't affect foo's status.

All right. The libmysqlclient package is indeed GPL'ed.

> However, if foo does this:
> 
> import mysqlclient
> 
> (or whatever the name of the binding is), then things change.  It's
> still legal for foo to do this (again, assuming the license of foo
> allows it).  However, it is no longer legal for anyone, including the
> original author of foo, to distribute foo.

That is exactly the case I know (excepted that it is written in PHP). It
is distributed (or it will soon be), and I don't think the author has a
MySQL license.

> If libmysqlclient is LGPLed, instead of GPLed, then it would be legal to
> distribute foo with "import mysqlclient".

Thanks for making things clear.
-- 
 .''`.           Josselin Mouette        /\./\
: :' :           josselin.mouette@ens-lyon.org
`. `'                        joss@debian.org
  `-  Debian GNU/Linux -- The power of freedom

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