On Tuesday 08 August 2006 08:11, Andreas Pakulat wrote: > On 07.08.06 19:51:20, dave s wrote: > > So I write mt QT4 code, put a GPL license on it, my company uses it > > internally without distributing it in any way and its OK ? > > You don't need to put it under _any_ license as long as you do not > distribute it, I _think_ (IANAL) >
Technically, you DO have to license it under the GPL, you have no choice as that is the requirement of the license under which you have received the original code. However, the requirement to PROVIDE the source ONLY kicks in if you DISTRIBUTE the program outside your company AND any 3rd party requests the code within 3 years. Dave should probably read the GPL FAQ: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html Some examples: "You have a GPL'ed program that I'd like to link with my code to build a proprietary program. Does the fact that I link with your program mean I have to GPL my program? Yes." "The GPL does not require you to release your modified version. You are free to make modifications and use them privately, without ever releasing them. This applies to organizations (including companies), too; an organization can make a modified version and use it internally without ever releasing it outside the organization. But if you release the modified version to the public in some way, the GPL requires you to make the modified source code available to the program's users, under the GPL." "Is making and using multiple copies within one organization or company "distribution"? No, in that case the organization is just making the copies for itself. As a consequence, a company or other organization can develop a modified version and install that version through its own facilities, without giving the staff permission to release that modified version to outsiders. However, when the organization transfers copies to other organizations or individuals, that is distribution. In particular, providing copies to contractors for use off-site is distribution." "Is there some way that I can GPL the output people get from use of my program? For example, if my program is used to develop hardware designs, can I require that these designs must be free? In general this is legally impossible; copyright law does not give you any say in the use of the output people make from their data using your program. If the user uses your program to enter or convert his own data, the copyright on the output belongs to him, not you. More generally, when a program translates its input into some other form, the copyright status of the output inherits that of the input it was generated from." "In what cases is the output of a GPL program covered by the GPL too? Only when the program copies part of itself into the output." Cheers! John. -- -- Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ PyKDE mailing list [email protected] http://mats.imk.fraunhofer.de/mailman/listinfo/pykde
