On Sat, 20 May 2000, Ryan S. Dancey wrote:
> From: J. Michael Looney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> > > > The GPL has some interesting clauses about no futher
> > > > restrictions... which may prevent this.
> > >
> > > The OGL doesn't intersect with the rights administered by the GPL.
> > >
> >
> > Assuming "my" legal staff is not on rat dope, with this change it would
> > for non-paper versions of OGL games.
>
> This is the relevant section of the GPL:
>
> Section 2:
>
> "In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program with
> the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a storage
> or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this
> License."
>
> This is how separate IP elements are handled. You put them in external data
> files and then the GPL'd code reads those files at runtime. As long as the
> two files are not compiled together into one file or linked statically, or
> linked dynamically with defined references through an API, you don't need to
> use the GPL license with that external file.
>
> Thus, if you have an external data file that does not contain Open Game
> Content, and is not a part of an executable or designed to be compiled into
> an executable, that material does not have to be GPL'd. If you have an
> external data file that >does< contain Open Game Content, you have to GPL
> that file.
>
This does make things a bit better, however, do you have any reference to
what the US Federal government thinks is "software". If my day job's
legal staff is not snorting some sort of white powder, then _any_ computer
file is software, at least to some parts of the Feds (given where I work,
that would be the FCC and/or Judge Green). If I read this correctly that
means ALL my stuff would have to be GPL, or am I just jumping over more
flaming hoops than I need?
As I see it I would have 3 sets of files:
1) The computer code it self - OGL 'core' code released as GPL
2) The "data" that is in OGL data format - OGL/GPL
3) My fluff (artwork, flavor text etc) - Not OGL/GPL.
Now as I understand it, I would have to write the code in such a way as to
insure that not having elements of type #3 is not a fatal error to the
application for it to be legal under the GPL, other wise it's part of "the
program" and can not be closed under the GPL.
--
http://www.spellbooksoftware.com
If guns are outlawed can we use swords?
-------------
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