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Re: GPL - GSL and derivative work.
- To: Edwin Robert Tisdale <E dot Robert dot Tisdale at jpl dot nasa dot gov>
- Subject: Re: GPL - GSL and derivative work.
- From: Steve ROBBINS <stever at bic dot mni dot mcgill dot ca>
- Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:02:29 -0400
- Cc: gsl-discuss at sources dot redhat dot com
- References: <3B793BF6.1C6E2E31@jpl.nasa.gov>
On Tue, Aug 14, 2001 at 07:55:50AM -0700, Edwin Robert Tisdale wrote:
> Timothy H. Keitt wrote:
>
> > These are pretty clearly spelled out at www.gnu.org.
> > Short answer: LGPL, linking from closed-source OK.;
> > GPL, you have to release the source of the application
> > under the GPL to link with a GPL'd library.
>
> The GPL only prevents you from distributing the GPL'd library
> without distributing the application source code.
> You can distribute the application object code
> without the application source code without violating the GPL
> and let users link it into the GPL'd library themselves.
This is not true. If your application requires the GPL'd library
it is to be considered a "derived work" of the library, and all
sources must be shipped with a binary. This is pretty clearly
laid out in the text of the GPL, and the GNU web site has further
disucssions. In particular, see
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfLibraryIsGPL
If you intend to split legal hairs about what constitutes
a "derived work", that is a discussion I do not want to have.
Try the newsgroup gnu.misc.discuss.
> I don't think that there is any practical way for the FSF
> or the library developers to prevent users from doing this.
Well, the practicality is a separate question. ;-)
But it is beyond question that this is not what authors of
GPL'd libraries *intend*.
-Steve