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Re: CygWin GPLing by proxy (Was: Cannot display through rsh)


On Sat, 16 Aug 2003, Steinar Bang wrote:

> >>>>> Igor Pechtchanski <pechtcha@cs.nyu.edu>:
>
> [snip!]
> > Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to distribute the resulting
> > application, because anything linked with cygwin1.dll automatically
> > becomes GPLd.  If you could find an open-source JDK, this problem
> > would not arise.
>
> IANAL, but... can this be right?
>
> If I write an application for UNIX/linux and make it available under
> some other license than GPL, and someone else ports it to CygWin, I
> don't see how this would automatically make my application be GPL'd?
>
> An in any case, this would only apply to the JDK in this case.  A Java
> application running inside the JDK shouldn't be affected in any way.
>
> Ah well.  Off-topic I guess.  And it isn't even Friday anymore.

Steinar,

Well, there has been plenty of GPL discussion on the Cygwin list -- let's
not also start it on cygwin-xfree.  However, since this involves something
I said, I'd like to correct one misunderstanding: if you release your
application under some licence that's not compatible with GPL (as defined
by FSF), whoever ports your application to Cygwin and distributes it is
*in violation* of the GPL (but that does not make your application GPL --
you, as the author, completely control the licensing terms).  For more
information, please review the numerous discussions on the Cygwin list or
contact a GPL discussion list.
	Igor
-- 
				http://cs.nyu.edu/~pechtcha/
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ZZZzz /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_		igor@watson.ibm.com
     |,4-  ) )-,_. ,\ (  `'-'		Igor Pechtchanski, Ph.D.
    '---''(_/--'  `-'\_) fL	a.k.a JaguaR-R-R-r-r-r-.-.-.  Meow!

"I have since come to realize that being between your mentor and his route
to the bathroom is a major career booster."  -- Patrick Naughton


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