Some good points. I think the reason that this topic comes up a lot is the fact that there are a couple of situations that wind up being fuzzy. The Browser example you gave is a good one because it demonstrates the semantics of the problem being addressed. It could flip either way depending on how you word it. Having said that, the real acid test is the "derived works" as well as whether you bundle it tightly with the GPL'ed code or if you make your app (Browser) use this library simply as a plugin that can be included if the user goes and looks for it elsewhere at a later download time which of course could also be replaced by any other plugin that offers similar or same features.
The other licensing topic that is becoming more and more of an issue in XML is the question "is it an interpreter or is it a library?". With some of the libraries for XUL's/XUI's it's becoming more difficult to answer this question definitively. This is going to probably cause much more debate in the XML world as time goes on. Arron [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: ----- To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Kevin Sangeelee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 04/12/2004 01:32AM Subject: RE: [xul-talk] Because victory wasn't achievable to begin with On Sun, 11 Apr 2004, Arron Ferguson wrote: > Please read this: > > http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfLibraryIsGPL Again, I feel I should clarify this misunderstanding. The GPL applies if you derive new works from an existing GPL'd application. If you had a XUL motor *library* that you linked with, say, a new browser you've written, then you would have to include that browser under the GPL in order to comply with the licensing terms. This would be equally true if you had embedded the library source code into your application. If, on the other hand, you wrote a browser using someone's GPL'd XUL motor, and released that, you might distribute the XUL motor under the terms of the GPL, but, at the same time, distribute your browser under non-disclosure, non-sharing, single installation licensing terms. In this instance, the FAQ is saying that the GPL is basically protecting your library software from being ripped off. Say you wrote an ogg vorbis or mp3 decoder library, and someone took it and linked it with a simple GUI and distributed it under a closed source proprietary license, you might feel a bit cheated, since nobody benefits from the enhancements to your hard work except the proprietary software vendor. Or maybe you wouldn't, in which case you might instead release it under a different license. Kevin > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: ----- > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: Charles Goodwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: 04/11/2004 05:12PM > Subject: RE: [xul-talk] Because victory wasn't achievable to begin with > > On Sun, 2004-04-11 at 19:59 -0400, Marc Clifton wrote: > > Sigh. > > > > >From the GPL: > > > > " 3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it > > At what part of that does it apply to developing an XUL application on > top of an XUL motor? An XUL application is not work based on an XUL > motor, but work using an XUL motor. If you read the small print you'll > see there is a difference. > > The GPL license of an XUL motor implies nothing to the license of the > XUL application in the same way that just because you write an > application that runs on Linux you do not have to GPL said application. > > Wake up. You're in a land of noo naa. Emailing in your sleep. > > > And frankly, I consider myself a lot more intelligent than most lawyers > > You may be intelligent but you do not understand the GPL. > > But, hey, you think I'm a moron. Fine... email RMS stating your legal > opinion on how the GPL affects applications. He'll personally set you > straight on the matter. > -- > - Charlie > > Charles Goodwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Online @ www.charlietech.com > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by: IBM Linux Tutorials > Free Linux tutorial presented by Daniel Robbins, President and CEO of > GenToo technologies. Learn everything from funda ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: IBM Linux Tutorials Free Linux tutorial presented by Daniel Robbins, President and CEO of GenToo technologies. Learn everything from fundamentals to system administration.http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=1470&alloc_id=3638&op=click _______________________________________________ xul-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xul-talk+zf+,좷o"0j[狊{h&z{^ujxn)>קC|gN-ygZ yzbg֦z{Zh+-zf)ڶ*'i &bw^;ѩeȝ߭%1[ZIXXd+-.ǟ alb,y+b?+-wd
