Re: Reusing GPL code without applying GPL legal in Europe?

[Nathanael Nerode <neroden@fastmail.fm>]

MJ Ray wrote:

> Also note that the size of quote is really very limited.  The so-called
> creativity threshold is fairly low (FSF estimates it can be as low as 15
> lines of code
>
http://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/html_node/Legally-Significant.html#Legally-Significant
> ), so the 'cited' code has to be a small snippet.

The threshhold really is not size-based; GNU is just being helpful to 
programmers by given them a heuristic.  And the "creativity" standard 
appears to be very similar world-wide.

An enormous table is not creative if, for instance, it's a multiplication 
table.  (So, for instance, CRC tables are exactly as creative as the chosen 
polynomial and contain no more creative content.)

A one-liner is creative if it's really clever, like the IOCCC entries.

So if you want to quote the whole of limits.h except for the comments, 
you're probably on safe ground, because it's essentially uncreative.  But
if you want to quote Duff's Device, get permission.  (Well, actually Duff's
Device is in the public domain IIRC, but if it had been written after 
1988....)

-- 
Nathanael Nerode  <neroden@fastmail.fm>

Bush admitted to violating FISA and said he was proud of it.
So why isn't he in prison yet?...