[sword-devel] Still more about licencing

[Lynn Allan]

Hello Ka-shu Wong,

Thanks so much for writing. I believe I actually may understand those issues
that apply to the proposed LcdBible and the InVerse Scripture memorization
freeware. You are a wizard of clarity. I hope you are correct.

Would someone please correct any fallacies on my part with the following
statements regarding GPL and The SWORD Project's license:

* There can be two or more versions of the LcdBible software.

* To ethically/legally have access to The SWORD Project's
.modules/texts/*.*, it must use the sword-api to retrieve verses. This
corresponds to the "A" + "B" you describe. Thus, this version must release
with GPL.

* To be eligible for being a "front-end" for The SWORD Project's
.modules/texts/*.*, it must do the above and thus must be released with GPL.
Again, this is "A" + "B".

* A separate version of LcdBible could be free to access *other* public
domain and freeware Bible texts. As long as it didn't utilize sword-api code
(developed in white-room?) or .modules/texts/*.* , it could be licensed any
way that I choose, including public domain, freeware, or for sale. This is
the "A" without "B" situation.

**********  HOWEVER  **************
I have heard comments that seem to indicate that if the LcdBible software
uses sword-api logic in order to be a "front-end" for The SWORD Project",
then it foregoes the option of ever being other than GPL. According to this
interpretation, I could not develop a separate version that used independent
logic to access Bible texts other than ./modules/texts/*.*

I would appreciate clarification on this point. Did I misunderstand some to
the earlier comments in this thread that seem to suggest the paragraph
above? Or, is the paragraph above actually correct.

<alert ... an aside that may "frost" those tired of this scribbler's
opinions>
Frankly, it is not difficult to put together logic that accesses freeware
uncompressed Bible text. The difficult part is rebuilding The SWORD Projects
libraries in order to gain access to its valuable modules/texts/*.* I will
be glad to continue this thought in private posts, but that is more than
enough for this public thread.
<alert concluded>

Final comment: I believe someone else has previously described to me
something similar to Ka-shu Wong's valuable input. I guess I wasn't paying
enough attention since it seemed pretty academic and non-applicable. When it
got to "the rubber meets the road" re the LcdBible software, I wanted to
confirm what the situation really was. In the interim, I had come across
eMails that seemed to go well beyond the "A" + "B" described by Ka-shu Wong.

Sharing the reason for the season,
http://learningcards.eeworks.org/EeCard01.html

Lynn A.
l.allan@att.net