[ale] OT: GPL Question

[Joseph A. Knapka]

Mike Panetta wrote:
> 
> Some PLEASE correct me if I am wrong...  But here is my take on what you
> guys are saying.
> 
> So does that mean if somebody say makes a GPL'd version of winsock.dll
> (for example) and replaces the propriatary version of winsock.dll on
> their windows box with it, everything that is now using the new and
> GPL'd dll is required to take on the GPL license or be sued by the FSF?

Stallman seems to want the answer to be "Yes". But that's
patently ridiculous, IMO.

> Or back to the web server example... If someone makes a web server
> plugin that is propriatary, and writes it to the plugin API of a
> propritary web server, and someone else loads their module into a web
> server thats GPL'd that uses the same API (and thus works with the
> module), does that mean that someone you do not even know or have
> control over just forced you to GPL your code without you even knowing
> it?
>
> I do not understand this license... Really I do not :) But the way you
> guys are describing the linking process (specificly dynamic) it seems to
> me that noone has control over code that they write anymore.  I can see
> it now, some bastard (well in this case its not a bsatard ;) goes out
> and writes a GPL'd API compatibility layer that allows you to run
> windows programs on Linux (I do not think Wine is GPL'd is it?) thus
> forcing all the windows companies out there to GPL their code... I don't
> think so...  But that does sound like what you guys are talking about...
> 
> I think the only way we will ever know how or if this license will work
> is if someone sues.  And I think that if someone does sue, the license
> may fall apart...  I have not read it myself (nor could I, I do not
> understand legalease AT ALL), but it sounds like it is not a very
> logical license to me.

I think it is a reasonable license, but the language that attempts
to make linkage == derivation (eg you link to it, you've created
a derived work) is bogus. "Derivation" should mean only "modification
of source code". IMHO.

Cheers,

-- Joe
  "I'd rather chew my leg off than maintain Java code, which
   sucks, 'cause I have a lot of Java code to maintain and
   the leg surgery is starting to get expensive." - Me

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