[sword-devel] Wiki Misrepresentation

[jhphx]

I think that if you look at other sections of the FAQ you will come to 
the conclusion that while the new code of the frontend may only need to 
be GPL-compatible, it could also as a derivative need to be GPL, and 
either way the combined code must be GPL. So yes, the frontend must be 
GPL or GPL-compatible, but in most cases it must be only GPL and not 
simply compatible. How many SWORD frontend authors can correctly claim 
that their code is not derivative?

Must be (GPL OR compatible) AND Must be (GPL) = GPL

Jerry

Greg Hellings wrote:
> I was on this page - http://crosswire.org/wiki/Frontends:FeatureList -
> earlier today and noticed the following line:
> All frontends MUST be GPLv2 licensed. (This should be obvious. The
> SWORD Project is GPLv2-licensed. All derivative works, such as
> frontends and utilities, must be GPLv2 or they would be in violation
> of CrossWire's copyright and the copyrights of 3rd parties whose code
> has been incorporated into SWORD, e.g. the FSF.)
>
> However, that is directly in contradiction to the words of the Free
> Software Foundation's FAQ lines about this exact situation:
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfLibraryIsGPL
> If a library is released under the GPL (not the LGPL), does that mean
> that any program which uses it has to be under the GPL or a
> GPL-compatible license?
> Yes, because the program as it is actually run includes the library.
>
> This explicitly allows for distribution of other works under
> compatible licenses, not only under the GPL.  This is not restricted
> by SWORD being only v2, the statement applies to all GPL versions, as
> others have verified directly with the FSF.  This particular FAQ was
> updated because it had been causing issues with people misinterpreting
> it to mean that only the GPL could be used for derivative works, as
> our Wiki has been misled to state.  This line on our Wiki should
> either be updated, or just use a reference directly to the GNU/FSF FAQ
> page.
>
> --Greg
>
> _______________________________________________
> sword-devel mailing list: sword-devel at crosswire.org
> http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/sword-devel
> Instructions to unsubscribe/change your settings at above page
>
>