Re: Plugins, libraries, licenses and Debian

[mru@kth.se (Måns Rullgård)]

Andrew Suffield <asuffield@debian.org> writes:

> On Mon, Dec 08, 2003 at 09:07:38PM -0500, Anthony DeRobertis wrote:
>> On Dec 7, 2003, at 17:07, Arnoud Engelfriet wrote:
>> 
>> No package containing both was created in the above!
>> 
>> Even if one were, it'd be a compilation --- not a derivative work --- 
>> as there was no modification of either work. IOW, a mere aggregation.
>
> That is not at all clear.
>
> A package containing them both clearly would not "function usefully"
> without one of them - then it wouldn't be "a package containing them
> both". So it's plausible to argue that it *is* a derivative work.

With my program, any plugin can simply be deleted, and what remains
will still "function usefully".  Of course, the more you remove, the
less there remains that can function, and at some point you won't have
any functionality left.  I'll admit, there are a few plugins that are
more or less required, but they have no external dependencies, so it
doesn't matter.

> Whenever you are faced with a plausible argument for both sides, the
> one with the more expensive lawyer wins.

True.

-- 
Måns Rullgård
mru@kth.se