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Re: CygWin GPLing by proxy (Was: Cannot display through rsh)
- From: Igor Pechtchanski <pechtcha at cs dot nyu dot edu>
- To: cygwin-xfree at cygwin dot com
- Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 08:54:02 -0400 (EDT)
- Subject: Re: CygWin GPLing by proxy (Was: Cannot display through rsh)
- Reply-to: cygwin-xfree at cygwin dot com
- Reply-to: cygwin-xfree at cygwin dot com
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
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