IANAL, but here's my take on the GPL in the context of developing SAP-DB client software:
Only a small proportion of all development effort (something like 5%) is on shrink-wrap software. The remaining 95% or so is done on bespoke one-off software for a specific client for a specific purpose and will only ever be distributed to that client. All other things being equal, 95% or so of the software developers on this list (i.e. those people actively engaged in writing SAP-DB based software) would be working on bespoke software. The GPL only requires you to make source code available to people whom you distribute the software to. You are not automatically obliged to publish it to all and sundry on the web. You are only required to publicly distribute source code if you publicly distribute the software. If you are developing bespoke software, you are probably either working directly for the client or as a contractor/solution provider and are under contractual obligation to make source code of your application available to your client anyway. This tends to be the case in my experience working for a solution provider. The GPL does not change this obligation, but it does mean you cannot restrict them from redistributing the code. In most cases, they own it anyway and can do what they sodding well please with it. For a custom application, how often does it really matter that the client is free to redistribute the code? How often would the client have anything to gain from doing this anyway? The GPL really only gets underfoot if you want to ship binary-only packaged software derived from GPL'd code. By the law of averages, most developers on this list do not write such software. Ergo, the GPL makes little difference to 90% or more of the developers on this list. Nigel. _______________________________________________ sapdb.general mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://listserv.sap.com/mailman/listinfo/sapdb.general
