Re: Copyright problems for the opensource reimplementation of a closed-source library (ITP #679504)

[Gergely Nagy <algernon@madhouse-project.org>]

Christophe-Marie Duquesne <chmd@chmd.fr> writes:

> I am the author of an opensource library that reimplements a
> closed-source library.
[...]
> PS: the project in question is more a "proxy" towards the closed
> source library than a real reimplementation, but technically I
> actually reimplement every function of their header. If you are
> interested, it is hosted here [2].

If it is a proxy, then it is not a reimplementation. That you add a
wrapper for every function, doesn't matter, you still call the original.

If it would be a reimplementation, the best course of action would be to
start with a program that uses the library, and reimplement the
functionality based on what the program expects.

If you base your work on existing headers, that's borderline derived
work. If you proxy, that *is* derived work, and the whole excercise is
rather pointless, as you will still be bound by the original
license. That you dlopen() and not directly link, is irrelevant.

(At least, that is my understanding of legalities, but as always, I'm
not a lawyer.)

-- 
|8]