[sword-devel] On the topic of an iPhone front-end

[DM Smith]

Greg Hellings wrote:
> Here's an article from the Slashdot/Linux.com world of interest
> regarding the viability of licensing restrictions placed on the iPhone
> SDK users, developers and software.  It seems like, unless Apple comes
> out with some more clarification or lifts the NDA portion of it to at
> least allow the dissemination of source code, we'd be unable to use
> The SWORD Project's library in any sort of front end (unless a
> dual-license of it was made available for this specific purpose).
> I'll try to keep my eyes open as anything comes to develop on this
> front.
>
> http://www.linux.com/feature/131752

In reading the article I see the following (I might be wrong as IANAL):
1) Our code is GPLv2, not v3, and because it doesn't have the 
anti-TiVoization clause, the code signing requirement is not a problem.

2) The SDK agreement's NDA does seem to prohibit blending with GPLv2. I 
suppose that it can be made available to others that sign the same NDA, 
but that is not the same as providing it to anyone who wants it. (I 
wonder why it is not a problem with MacSword/Eloquent, which uses Apple 
interfaces and perhaps some of these are not publicly documented. I seem 
to remember "signing" an NDA when I got my developer's id for their 
developer network.)

While there are "solutions" to these (special license, plugin...), the 
big issue I have with all of this is that we see developers come and go. 
If a project is thus "orphaned" will someone be able to get the all 
source to it? If so, how and under what conditions? Is it also 
restricted by NDA?

Currently, there is one iPhone interface that does not have this 
problem: web 2.0 browser interface. If the BibleTool or something like 
it were adapted for small devices with "grade A" browser support, that 
would be fantastic.

In Him,
    DM