[sword-devel] Question about Public Domain

[mmital]

Hi,

As Chris pointed out, all front-ends *have* to use GPL v2. So the public
domain door is closed for me.

However, as Peter pointed out, I am allowed to use free, NON-GPL third party
source in my application. The author of the this code does not mind his
source being distributed in this manner.

I also found this:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs








On Mon, Mar 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM, Ben Morgan <benpmorgan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Public domain is not a license. It just means that you let *anyone* use it
> *however* they want. You are basically saying "I don't claim copyright on
> this". However, if your code links to a GPLv2 product, then that combination
> has to be available under the GPLv2. So if you make SB public domain, anyone
> could take out all sword references and replace them with something else,
> and sell it commercially. But as long as you distibute it linked to SWORD,
> you have to provide source code.
>
> God Bless,
> Ben
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Multitudes, multitudes,
>    in the valley of decision!
> For the day of the LORD is near
>    in the valley of decision.
>
> Giôên 3:14 (ESV)
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 5:16 AM, mmital <mital.manu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Chris,
>>
>> Thanks. That answers the question (that is, SB frontend *has* to continue
>> under v2 of GPL).
>>
>> So I guess I need to contact the third party author and send him this list
>> of compatible licenses:
>> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GPLCompatibleLicenses (asking
>> him to look at the ones that are compatible with version 2 GPL)
>>
>> If the third party code license can fit anything in the above list, then I
>> think I can use it.
>>
>> mmital
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/16/09, Chris Little <chrislit at crosswire.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> DM Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> mmital wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>  I have been using Alkitab bible study lately. Fantastic piece of
>>>>> software, truly amazing.
>>>>>  I also noticed that it is in public domain, while using sword engine
>>>>> that is in GPL v2, and other components that may have their own license (
>>>>> http://www.kiyut.com/products/alkitab/LICENSE-alkitab.txt)
>>>>>  My question is: Am I permitted to release future versions of
>>>>> SwordBible under public domain? The reason is that I want to continue to use
>>>>> the sword library that is under GPL, while also making use of third party
>>>>> components that may not be under GPL (with the permissions from their
>>>>> respective copyright holders).
>>>>>  Can this be done? Thanks for the clarifications.
>>>>>
>>>> I can't answer for the SWORD library.
>>>>
>>>
>>> You probably could have spoken for The SWORD Project. :) But I'll make it
>>> explicit.
>>>
>>> Sword (the C++ library) is GPLv2 only (not GPL3, not PD, not BSD, etc.)
>>> and any software using Sword must, obligatorily be GPLv2. Personally, I like
>>> GPLv2 and wouldn't want us to change, but we're at a point where it's not
>>> even a choice that is open to us. We use code from 3rd parties that is GPL
>>> licensed, so we are as much obliged to use GPLv2 for Sword as you and other
>>> front end authors are obliged to use GPLv2 if you use Sword.
>>>
>>> I recognize that there are those who would like other licenses for very
>>> valid reasons, but it's really not an option to Sword to license under
>>> licenses other than GPL.
>>>
>>> --Chris
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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