[sword-devel] Information for beginning Windows BCB 6 Developers

[Lynn Allan]

> (standard IANAL disclaimer)
>
> MFC is probably not an option.  The Visual Studio .NET 2003 license
names MFC
> as a "Redistributable", and then says,

Also IANAL ... [note: I've asked questions to licensing at gnu.org and
gotten answers in layman's English ... perhaps we should ask
specifically about MFC4x.dll]

But there are several GPL FAQ's related to libraries that come with
the compiler:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL

I'm writing a Windows application with Microsoft Visual C++ (or Visual
Basic) and I will be releasing it under the GPL. Is dynamically
linking my program with the Visual C++ (or Visual Basic) run-time
library permitted under the GPL?
Yes, because that run-time library normally accompanies the compiler
or interpreter you are using.

[[This isn't all that clear ... is MFC42.dll considered "run time
library". My impression is "yes" ... which would allow using MFC ]]

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs
What legal issues come up if I use GPL-incompatible libraries with GPL
software?
If the libraries that you link with fall within the following
exception in the GPL:
  However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need
not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or
binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on)
of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that
component itself accompanies the executable.

then you don't have to do anything special to use them; the
requirement to distribute source code for the whole program does not
include those libraries, even if you distribute a linked executable
containing them. Thus, if the libraries you need come with major parts
of a proprietary operating system, the GPL says people can link your
program with them without any conditions.