I have a question on two GPL areas, mere aggregation and packaging some GPL software in an installer.
Both are FAQ's listed here: http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLCompatInstaller I have a commercial application that is distributed packaged in an installer that you can download. When a user installs the application I wanted to install some GPL software at the same time. Reading the above FAQ's it would seem to me that I can package the GPL software in the installer along with the commercial software. The GPL software isn't linked/built in/incorporated into the commercial software. I spoke with someone from the company that sells a commercial license to the GPL software and was told that because the GPL is a viral license to distribute it in this manner would require us to GPL everything that was in the installer. That seemed to contradict what is covered in the FAQ above. If that is the case and the GPL software can't be distributed like this, I assume based on mere aggregation that we could ship the installer for our product on the same disc as the GPL software installer and source? Can we also make the GPL software/source available from our own web server? If so, at the end of installation of our product can we provide a link for users to our website to download install the GPL software/source? Just after some straight answers... The company selling a commercial license to the GPL software is obviously motivated to sell me one, as opposed to help clarify the GPL. Also, are there lawyers that deal with this sort of thing specifically? It seems quite difficult to get straight answers on what exactly is/isn't ok with the GPL... Cheers, Ad. _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
