FC4 or FC5

jdow jdow at earthlink.net
Sun Jun 18 23:33:48 UTC 2006


From: "Michael" <mogmios at mlug.missouri.edu>
> 
>> Sorry - if I purchase a copy of your product and it is GPL licensed I
>> can ask for the source, expect to receive it, and then start selling
>> it myself with near zero development overhead. I can also purchase it
>> once and give it to all my friends, source and all. I can basically
>> wipe out your business if I've a mind to. It'd all be legal. It might
>> be unethical as all hell. But it'd be legal.

> If I am the original author the license does not apply to me. I do not 
> have to give anyone squat. Basic copyright law applies. The GPL is based 
> on copyright law and therefore the license doesn't control what the 
> original author can do.

If you linked to the wrong library modules you have forced your
program to be under GPL. If you distribute it then you must also
distribute source. How you figure you can avoid that is beyond me.
Original author or not if the wrong GPL modules are linked into
your program you're toast. Have you VERY carefully vetted this end
to end in your code?

You CANNOT link to GPL. You can link to LGPL. If you have linked to
GPL and somebody calls FSF's attention to it you may find yourself
on the receiving end of some legal notices. Personally I'd hate to
see that. I think this is a philosophical error on the part of GPL
in making it so intrusive. But it's a fact to deal with.

{^_^}




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