[sword-devel] GPL restrictions (was Re: using a zText module)

[Daniel Hughes]

This is from the FSF in 2010
http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement/


On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 1:22 PM, Nic Carter <niccarter at mac.com> wrote:

> I'm interested in hearing how exactly it is incompatible... It originally
> was (in 2008 when you weren't able to make any iOS source code publicly
> available, a rather unfortunate decision which has since been overturned!)
> but it is now my understanding that that is no longer the case & hence we
> started developing an iOS app.
>
> Sent from my phone, hence this email may be short...
>
> On 13/08/2012, at 11:16, Daniel Hughes <trampster at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> To further complicate things, how is PocketSword available in the the
> apple app store when the app store terms of service are incompatible with
> the GPL?
>
> On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 12:51 PM, Daniel Hughes <trampster at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> OK here is the issue for me. My application (Wide Margin) is GPL 3. It
>> has been all it's life. I want to use libsword. But libsword is GPL2.
>>
>> GPL 3 is a later version of GPL 2. The FSF want people to use GPL 3.
>>
>> What would it take for the sword project to re-licence to: GPL 2 or
>> later. I'm sure that the libsword contributors would have no problem with
>> allowing GPL 3 applications use the library.
>>
>> How many contributors do you have, how hard would it be for you to
>> contact them and get permission for this licence change. Otherwise you are
>> going to be preventing more and more libraries who are following
>> FSF recommendations and licencing as GPL3.
>>
>> Xiphos uses GPL2 or later. This would make Xiphos non-compliant.
>>
>> Bible time uses GPL2 but contains this text:
>> This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
>> it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
>> the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
>> (at your option) any later version.
>>
>> This would make BibleTime also non-compliant
>>
>> Looks like you guys have a bit of a problem on your hands. What are you
>> planning to do about it?
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Daniel
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 10:52 AM, Peter von Kaehne <refdoc at gmx.net>wrote:
>>
>>> There is a lot of confusion about.
>>>
>>> But it is actually very simple.
>>>
>>> A complete programme binary incorporating libsword (or other GPL2 code)
>>> requires to be GPL2, i.e. full sources need to be released etc etc etc.
>>> The "compatible" is here very limited as essentially only a copyleft
>>> license will do.
>>>
>>> But GPL2 code can incorporate any kind of GPL2 compatible code - in any
>>> amount.
>>>
>>> So, it is possible to create a GPL2 application based on libsword, where
>>> 100% of the non library code is PD, allowing anyone who wants to e.g. to
>>> make use of the PD code in commercial close sourced applications - as
>>> long as such applications no not link to libsword, but use a different
>>> Bible backend.
>>>
>>> An example of that exists within the wider Sword family in LCD Bible.
>>> The author took his GUI code and reworked it for making a closed source
>>> application with a different backend. If he had BSD licensed or PD
>>> dedicated the GUI code, he would have allowed others to do the same.
>>>
>>> Peter
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>
>>
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