On 5/30/06, Darren Cook <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Thanks for the replies. I've no problem giving my client source code -
> it is usually in the contract anyway. The key question for me is whether
> my client then has to pass it on to its customers (99%+ of whom would
> rather put their hand in a piranha fish tank than be given computer code).

If I'm not mistaken, you would have to make it available /publicly/ in
the case of the GPL. That doesn't mean your client would have to send
it to its customers, but that there would have to be a link to the
code somewhere.

> Thinking about it some more I think I can use the GCC compiler as a
> precedent: it takes my proprietary code and open source libraries and
> produces an EXE. Even though GCC is GPL I'm free to sell that EXE and
> don't have to tell people it was made with GCC or those other libraries.

That's different -- you don't distribute the GCC with your EXE. Same
with MTASC -- you can distribute your proprietary SWFs, no problem,
but if you would distribute MTASC as part of a bundle the rest of the
bundle would have to have a compatible license.

> I believe this is valid as long as the libraries are LGPL or BSD/MIT.
> And from what I've read so far MPL is also okay. GPL libraries have to
> be avoided.

I believe with BSD and MIT you're good, but as I said, I'm unsure
about the LGPL. I'm pretty sure that if the LGPLed code is in an extra
SWF you're on the safe side. As for compiling it into the SWF, I have
no idea. I've tried to read it, but your guess is as good as mine
(it's not that long, <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html>). It
boils down to the term "linked", I think. According to
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGPL>, it doesn't look good:

"The LGPL places copyleft restrictions on the program itself but does
not apply these restrictions to other software that merely links with
the program. There are, however, certain other restrictions on this
software. Essentially, it must be possible for the software to be
linked with a newer version of the LGPL-covered program. The most
commonly used method for doing so is to use "a suitable shared library
mechanism for linking". Alternatively, a statically linked library is
allowed if either source code or linkable object files are provided."

You most likely know more about the MPL than I do.

> Is that about right? And is it reasonable to consider an SWF equivalent
> to an EXE?

I /think/ it's pretty much the same thing, but I'm not sure.

If somebody who knows what s/he is talking about could make an
overview over the common licenses, that would be great.

Mark


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