What is free software? [Re: Licenses and Open Source don't conflict.]

[Chris Gonnerman]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerhard Häring" <gerhard at bigfoot.de>


> * Chris Gonnerman <chris.gonnerman at newcenturycomputers.net> [2002-04-13
00:15 -0500]:
> > Another reason often given (by the misinformed) is that GPL code can
> > somehow "infect" non-GPL free code (BSD let's say); it goes something
> > like this: Bob writes an excellent library and releases it under the
> > BSD license.  George has his previously mentioned GPL'd library, which
> > is also most cool.  Fred comes along, and writes a program which uses
> > both Bob's and George's libraries, and for some reason Fred actually
> > incorporates the library source in his project rather than expecting
> > you to separately install it.  Fred must release his program under the
> > GPL (he has no choice in this matter).
>
> This is wrong. Fed must release his program under a Free Software
> license (see the FSF page I mentioned in a previous posting for a
> listing of those). So Fred can release his program under a
> BSD/Python-like license, too.

If Fred *incorporates* George's GPL code in his program, he must make
the rest of his code GPL too... the license is pretty clear this way.
Alternately, if he makes a binary release the linkage rule may require
him to GPL the program.

<from the gpl>

  10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free
programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author
to ask for permission.  For software which is copyrighted by the Free
Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
make exceptions for this.  Our decision will be guided by the two goals
of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and
of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.

</from the gpl>

The point is, Bob's license can't be changes unilaterally by Fred.

Chris Gonnerman -- chris.gonnerman at newcenturycomputers.net
http://newcenturycomputers.net