Re: Problem with GPLv3 FAQ about linking with Visual C++

[David Kastrup]

Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> writes:

> On 2/2/2010 10:55 AM, David Kastrup wrote:
>> If you think that copyright law gives you a free ride for stuff that
>> works only after linking, it is clear that you have to base your case on
>> something other than the GPL's wording: you will have to show yourself
>> that the GPL cannot cover the resulting combination, by virtue of your
>> local copyright laws.  The GPL certainly does not say that on its own.
>
> In the US it's simple enough. A dynamically linked program
> (shipped without the libraries which it will use at runtime)
> does not contain those libraries. Certainly the source for
> such a program does not contain them.

Huh?  You can't compile without including the library header files, and
including them certainly affects code generation.

> And the GPL imposes no requirements on running a program.

It talks about "complete work".  If the work can't be considered
complete without a linking stage initiated by running an incomplete stub
intended to link a particular library into precompiled places, I don't
see that the resulting situation is clearly as you want to picture it,
and independent of further factors like the involved particulars and
court attenders.

-- 
David Kastrup