Matthew Saltzman <mjs(a)clemson.edu> wrote:
On Wed, 2008-06-18 at 19:33 -0300, Alexandre Oliva wrote:
> On Jun 18, 2008, Matthew Saltzman <mjs(a)clemson.edu> wrote:
[...]
> > Wait--Alexandre, are you saying that I could take a GPL
library and,
> > say, a CPL[1] library, write a program that links to both libraries to
> > create new functionality and legally distribute source code or a
> > statically or dynamically linked executable version of my program
> > licensed under either the GPL or the CPL?
> No. I'm just saying that it's not the GPL that prevents
you from
> distributing it. It's copyright law. The GPL merely refrains from
> granting permission for you to do something that, without such
> permission from copyright holders, you can't do in the first place.
OK I see.
Then can we at least agree that there are sometimes unfortunate
consequences to the GPL's failure to permit one to share a work
combining two pieces of *free* software because of relatively minor[1]
license incompatibilities?
Sure.
In fact, I think it's arguable that there are sometimes
unfortunate
consequences to the GPL's failure to permit one to share a work that
makes use of a GPL library and a proprietary library. I understand some
authors' desire not to permit that kind of sharing of their work, even
if I don't necessarily agree with it. But I also think that there's
lots of software released under the GPL by authors who don't think
deeply about license issues and don't really understand the limits of
what is permitted by the GPL.
Right. But to grant (or not) such permission is the copyright holder's
decision. And it is not up to us to second guess their "real" intention.
--
Dr. Horst H. von Brand User #22616
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