[sword-devel] Question about Public Domain

[Peter von Kaehne]

Ben Morgan wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 10:45 AM, Chris Little <chrislit at crosswire.org
> <mailto:chrislit at crosswire.org>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>     Ben Morgan wrote:
> 
>         On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 10:04 AM, mmital <mital.manu at gmail.com
>         <mailto:mital.manu at gmail.com> <mailto:mital.manu at gmail.com
>         <mailto:mital.manu at gmail.com>>> wrote:
> 
>            Hi,
> 
>            As Chris pointed out, all front-ends *have* to use GPL v2. So the
>            public domain door is closed for me.
> 
>         The license for a front end has to be GPL v2 compatible. Not GPL
>         v2 necessarily.
> 
> 
>     This is completely incorrect (more specifically backwards). To say
>     that a license is GPL compatible means that code licensed under that
>     license may be incorporated in/used by GPL licensed software. Code
>     that is GPL licensed may only be used within code that is likewise
>     GPL licensed. (This is the whole "viral" nature of the GPL.)
> 
> I thought it was the whole glob of the application that had to be able
> to be licensed under the GPL? An individual component of my application
> can be released under another license.

That is correct insofar as it applies to non-derrived code. But the way
you formulated it the first time round this was not clear enough.

Your very own GUI code e.g. can be anything GPL compatible or indeed
simply be dual licensed or even PD. Code which links up to the libsword
though and uses its methods etc is derrived and must always be GPL.

And the overall application must be GPL too.

Peter

> 
> 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)
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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