Re: Is SystemC license compatible with the GPL ?

[Walter Landry <wlandry@ucsd.edu>]

Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr> wrote:
> [ I know this is out topic here, but I've already sent this mail twice
>   to  gnu@gnu.org, twice  to  the discussion  list  of the  fsfeurope,
>   another time  to the SystemC mailing  list, and didn't  get a single
>   answer :-( ]

I'm not surprised.  Whoever wrote the license must have been paid by
the word.  In any case, to answer the subject line of this email, the
SystemC license is not compatible.  The one part I found that is
definitely a problem is 2.6b:

  Recipient shall assist OSCI to the extent reasonably necessary to
  protect and maintain the Marks worldwide, including, but not limited
  to, giving prompt notice to OSCI of any known or potential
  infringement of the Marks, and cooperating with OSCI in preparing
  and executing any documents necessary to register the Marks, or as
  may be required by the laws or rules of any country or
  jurisdiction.

So if you get a copy of the software, you are suddenly part of their
trademark police.

There may be other problems, but this one is pretty clear.

> Hi,
> 
> I've developped a  piece of software using GCC as  a C++ front-end and
> the SystemC library.
> 
> The  SystemC  license can  be  found  from  www.systemc.org (And  I've
> temporarily put a copy here:
> http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~moy/vrac/License.pdf )
> 
> I would like to know wether it is legal to distribute this software and wether
> it is possible to do so under a free license.
> 
> 
> The architecture of the software is as follow :
> 
> 
>   +------------+       +-------------+       +-------------+
>   |            |       |             |       |             |
>   |     A      |       |      B      |       |      C      |
>   |            |       |             |       |             |
>   |  SystemC   |<--1-->| My software |<--2-->|     GCC     |
>   |            |       |             |       |             |
>   +------------+       +-------------+       +-------------+
> 
> Where <--n--> can be either a static or a dynamic link.
> 
> I would  like to  use as permissive  licenses as possible.  Ideally, I
> would like the following :
> 
> A = SystemC license
> B = LGPL
> C = GPL
> 
> Is this possible ?
> (From what I understood, I can distribute A+B and let the user download C and
> compile A+B+C himself)

So you are only distributing source?  AIUI, that is acceptable.
You'll have problems if you distribute binaries.

Regards,
Walter Landry
wlandry@ucsd.edu