On 9/8/07, Thomas Barregren <thomas@webbredaktoren.se> wrote:
Chris Johnson skrev:
On 9/7/07, Thomas Barregren <thomas@webbredaktoren.se> wrote:
But if your program and the other program are linked, even if it is done only at runtime, and make function calls to each other and share data structures, your module is a derivative work of the other program as well.
If this is true and legally correct (and I understand it), then we are lucky the FSF doesn't have the money to sue thousands of cases in court. Because every time a GPL program is compiled and run on a non-GPL operating system, it's going to be breaking this "rule." No GPL software could be run on Mac OS or Windows, if it called the OS or any GUI API.
You comment only proves that you in fact have not read the license. Please do that before you comment.
Hint: ยง 3 of GPL v2.
No, actually I was well aware of the exception clause. I've read GPL v2 dozens of times, and the exception itself was mentioned earlier in this very thread. The point is, what sorts of uses constitute valid exceptions and which do not. Just what is a "major component?" What is an "operating system?" You might be surprised just how various courts in various countries might define those terms. For instance, can a Mac OS X dashboard widget be GPL? They depend on more than just OS X -- they depend on an application program, which many would not consider to be a "major component" of the operating system. That is, once again, what is a derivative work? Paragraphs 2 and 3 are inadequate to define it. A dozen different courts could interpret it differently. Until there is well-established case law, we just don't know. So instead the question becomes, at what point does it stop making sense to split hairs? Or, how much legal protection can we reasonably afford to get? It might be more than adequate to simply require contrib authors to "sign" something that says they are aware of the GPL restrictions and that they hold Drupal/Dries harmless. Even though such clauses often don't hold up by themselves, it might be enough evidence to demonstrate that Drupal was making best efforts to comply at all times with the law, and thus keep us out of serious trouble.