[sword-devel] GPL 3 licencing issues

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007, Jeremy Erickson wrote:
> That means that BibleTime 2 on Windows with such a Sword library would be
> illegal, because BibleTime 2 will link with Qt 4, which is available only
> under the GPL on some platforms (unless we wanted to fork out lots of cash
> for a commercial license, which is unrealistic.)  Trolltech's license will
> not permit us to link Qt with code containing restrictions not in the GPL,
> even indirectly (i.e. the same app linking both libraries.)

Actually this article made me write my original message:
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2881
It is about the same question you are talking about.

> I don't think that adding these restrictions is an option without killing off
> BibleTime, which is obviously not a good option.

Let's be realistic: for Windows there are already many freely
downloadable Bible study applications. BibleCS is not even one of the
best. If BibleCS and BibleDesktop disappeared people could just start
using other programs, like e-sword.

But for Linux BibleTime, GnomeSword (and BibleDesktop) are the only
options - at least I don't know any other. Making those programs
unavailable would really hurt many people because they wouldn't have
possibility to read the Bible with a computer.

This becomes even more important if Linux user base grows in the third
world. Just like with paper Bibles, we are blessed with abundancy, but
there are millions of persons who can't afford even one. We are declined
to think about NIV etc. as very important and I also think they are -
but only if we are thinking about our user base in Western countries.


  Yours,
	Eeli Kaikkonen (Mr.), Oulu, Finland
	e-mail: eekaikko at mailx.studentx.oulux.fix (with no x)