On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:09:07 +0100 (BST) MJ Ray wrote: [...] > If it's using > libfoo which can be linked against OpenSSL/GnuTLS, is the source > of the GPL program derived from OpenSSL, though? AFAIUI, the point is not whether the source of the GPL program is or is not derived from OpenSSL. At least, various lawyers and scholars seem to claim that a program that uses library functions will not be considered as a derivative work of the library. The last time I read this was in Johnny, Omar; Miller, Marc; Webbink, Mark (2010) 'Copyright in Open Source Software – Understanding the Boundaries', IFOSS L. Rev., 2(1), pp 13 – 38 HTML: http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr/article/view/30/64 PDF : http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr/article/view/30/54 At the end of Section "Testing For Derivation", the authors state: [...] | a work will not be held to be a derivative work where the developer | uses library functions and other off-the-shelf routines contained in an | original program, without ever touching the original program's source | code. [...] AFAICT, the problem with linking a GPL program with OpenSSL seems to be (simply) that the GPL does not give us permission to distribute the program in object/executable form, unless we make the complete source available under the terms of the GPL itself (for the GPLv2, see Section 3, for the GPLv3, see Section 6). The complete source definition includes the source for linked libraries, but we cannot make OpenSSL available under the terms of the GPL, since it is only available under GPL-incompatible terms. > > If not, we can still distribute the version that doesn't link against > libssl. I agree with this conclusion, but for the reasons explained above, rather than for the linking-is-derivation theory. -- http://www.inventati.org/frx/progs/scripts/pdebuild-hooks.html Need some pdebuild hook scripts? ..................................................... Francesco Poli . GnuPG key fpr == C979 F34B 27CE 5CD8 DC12 31B5 78F4 279B DD6D FCF4
Attachment:
pgpk8sHOjNZ9V.pgp
Description: PGP signature