RE: Use of GNUstep in a commercial application

[Nicola Pero]

Have you read the actual license ? :-)

That would probably dispel most of your doubts.  GNUstep is free software, 
and the license "is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change 
free software". :-)

Most of the code (particularly the libraries) are licensed with the GNU LGPL --

http://svn.gna.org/viewcvs/gnustep/libs/base/trunk/COPYING.LIB?rev=22472&view=markup

The tools and some other bits are licensed with the GNU GPL --

http://svn.gna.org/viewcvs/gnustep/libs/base/trunk/COPYING?rev=22472&view=markup

There is nothing like reading the actual licenses to understand the 
implications.
[In particular, consider if you are distributing binaries or not. ;-)]

It looks like you will be a happy user, but it's difficult to say without
knowing the details.  You're the best one to judge.

Thanks

PS: no matter what you are doing, we'd really appreciate if you contributed
back any changes to the software -- even in the cases where the license doesn't
strictly require you to do so. ;-)



-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Hopkins <michael.hopkins@hopkins-research.com>
Sent: Fri, March 2, 2007 2:10 am
To: discuss-gnustep@gnu.org
Subject: Use of GNUstep in a commercial application



Hi

I am an IT/maths person first, a businessman third and a non-lawyer.  ;o)

I wonder if someone here could tell me in laymans terms whether or not we
are allowed to use (unchanged) GNUstep code/libraries in an application that
we host on a server somewhere and that people would log in to our server and
pay to use.  Is this:

1 - no problem
2 - specifically prohibited
3 - OK if a license fee is paid
4 - ? other

Is there any difference if the application is packaged and installed on
their own server or desktop machine?

Thanks in advance - please feel free to CC me here with any responses

Michael


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