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Re: GPL traitor !
From: |
Alan Mackenzie |
Subject: |
Re: GPL traitor ! |
Date: |
Mon, 11 May 2009 08:43:28 +0000 (UTC) |
User-agent: |
tin/1.6.2-20030910 ("Pabbay") (UNIX) (FreeBSD/4.11-RELEASE (i386)) |
In gnu.misc.discuss Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote:
> Alan Mackenzie wrote:
>> In (ii), the new code generator is an extension of GCC, using its data
>> structures, conventions etc. This new code, if it is released, must be
>> released under the GPL. Just how it's slotted into the existing GCC is
>> immaterial.
> You are wrong. Extensions fall under the GPL only if they incorporate
> GPLed code within them by inclusion, not by reference.
The notion of "inclusion" doesn't make sense when talking about computer
programs. Tell me, is an intricate C Macro "included in" or "referred to
by" the extension? What about a data structure it uses?
> That is, if the extension is written by taking existing code and
> modifying, it falls under the copyright of the existing work (and is
> a derivative work as well, ....
Yes.
> ..., so that the GCC copyright holders could not use it without the
> permission of its author).
Yes, sort of. But the new author is not licensed to distribute his
derivative work at all, except under the GPL.
> If the extension is written as a separate new work, it does not fall
> under the GPL, even if it makes extensive use of GPLed header files
> and of data structures that appear in the GPLed code.
In that case, the extension is derived from the source code of the data
structures, and thus isn't a "separate" new work.
> Attempting to use copyright to prevent interoperability is considered
> by the courts to be a serious breach, and is not allowed.
Hey, that's quite artistic, Hyman! :-) Interoperability has nothing to
do with what's been discussed so far.
One of the central aims of the GPL is to promote interoperability, as
you're well aware.
--
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).
- Re: GPL traitor !, (continued)
- Re: GPL traitor !, Peter Köhlmann, 2009/05/15
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alan Mackenzie, 2009/05/14
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alexander Terekhov, 2009/05/14
- Re: GPL traitor !, ZnU, 2009/05/14
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alan Mackenzie, 2009/05/15
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/15
- Re: GPL traitor !, ZnU, 2009/05/15
- Re: GPL traitor !, Rjack, 2009/05/13
- Re: GPL traitor !,
Alan Mackenzie <=
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alan Mackenzie, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alan Mackenzie, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alexander Terekhov, 2009/05/11
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/12
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alexander Terekhov, 2009/05/12
- Re: GPL traitor !, Hyman Rosen, 2009/05/12
- Re: GPL traitor !, Alexander Terekhov, 2009/05/12