Re: Licencing issues (Was: Re: posix standards? $(CURDIR) or $$PWD or $(shell pwd)?)

[Paul D. Smith]

%% gk <address@hidden> writes:

  g> One of my concerns is licensing: If my product uses
  g> Gnu-make-specific features in its Makefiles will it be considered
  g> 'derivative' and bound by the GPL?

  >> No, definitely not.  In the same way that if you write your code
  >> using Emacs, or compile it with GCC, or run it using bash as your
  >> shell, it does not become bound by the GPL, so controlling your
  >> builds with GNU make does not bind whatever's built with the GPL .

  g> What if I write an interface to Gnu make that 'extends' its
  g> functionality?

That depends on how it's extended.  The simplest rule is, if you change
any code in GNU make, then you need to release your changes at the very
least, and perhaps more--in this case you should probably contact the
FSF and ask them for an interpretation since they own the copyright and
they'll be the ones to decide.

If you don't change GNU make at all but simply include it with your
product and invoke it as a separate, standalone program, that's
"bundling" and not a derivative work so it doesn't fall under the GPL.

There are already a number of examples of this; for one example the
Linux kernel is GPL'd but there are many distributions which include it
alongside other, very proprietary programs which are most decidedly not
released under the GPL.  Also, there are proprietary products that
include RCS (which is GPLd) and invoke it as a standalone program.

If you're concerned, describe the situation to the FSF folks; you can
just email them.

  g> If my build system depends on a feature of Gnu make, such as the
  g> 'include' directive, then is it a 'derivative' work?

No; that would be copyrighting a user interface which is completely
against the FSF's principles.  There are plenty of versions of make
(almost all of them, as a matter of fact; it's very common--just not
defined in POSIX) that implement "include" in some form.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
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 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist