On Tuesday 04 September 2007, David Strauss wrote:
I would love to have someone clear up any errors in my interpretation. While I love the FSF, they have a vested interest in presenting the GPL as viral as possible. So, I don't consider their FAQ to be a reliable, unbiased source.
I think we're at the point where we all need to wait while someone finds a real lawyer to ask, since we're just going around in circles and even admitting it. :-) So, what pertinent questions should be asked of an actual lawyer, not employed by FSF, by whoever it is that is doing so (Drupal Association, a consulting firm, whoever)? I would start with: Scenario: There exists non-GPL system. A Drupal module is written that allows Drupal to access that system via its APIs within a PHP process. That module is committed to Drupal CVS, and therefore distributed under the GPL. Legal or illegal? Scenario: There exists non-GPL system. A Drupal module is written that allows Drupal to access that system via some external API (XML-RPC, SOAP, REST, HTTP, or some other non-shared-memory-space system). That module is committed to Drupal CVS, and therefore distributed under the GPL. Legal or illegal? Scenario: There exists a non-GPL system. A Drupal module is written that allows Drupal to access that system via either of the methods listed above (in-process or out-of-process). That module is provided by its author to a client/customer for use with their non-GPL system, without going through Drupal CVS. Under what licenses (GPL, non-GPL, or ownership transfer with reverse license) could that module be legally provided to said client? (Scenario 3 is actually a couple of scenarios rolled into one, but it's easier than restating every possible combination.) We're not lawyers. Let's find one so we can put this issue to rest and get back to writing GPLed code in the first place. :-) -- Larry Garfield AIM: LOLG42 larry@garfieldtech.com ICQ: 6817012 "If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it." -- Thomas Jefferson