> Nobody would make this argument about the Java API, of > course, which is widely described and has several independent > implementations.
But which is owned and controlled by a commercial organisation which refuses to allow it to be put under a standards organisation! :) Tony. > -----Original Message----- > From: Ian Lance Taylor [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 01 March 2004 14:52 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: 'Larry Masters'; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Question regarding modules/pluggins license? > > "Tony Linde" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > How can writing to an API force you to conform to that product's > > license? If that was the case, a Java app running on > Windows would be > > illegal and on Linux would have to be GPLed. > > A number of people have argued that if the only > implementation of an API is under the GPL, and if the API is > not independently described, nor managed by a standards > organization, then writing to that API is, in effect, > creating a derived work of the software which implements the API. > > A number of people have argued the opposite. > > Nobody would make this argument about the Java API, of > course, which is widely described and has several independent > implementations. > > Ian > -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3
