> The big problem is that KDE includes GPLed code without asking and links it > against qt. That is a not legal. I wonder what RMS would do if they provide > an kemacs. :-)
I guess this is the part which I'm needing a bit more understanding with (because I've not been the best at interpreting the legalese of the gpl). My understanding is that you *don't* have to ask the original author of gpl code for permission to use it or modify it, so long as the modifications are themselves fully published under the GPL. Based on the above, if you did publish the modifications in the GPL, but the modifications required linking to a proprietary library, then this would be a violation unless the original authors were contacted and OK'd the publication. Correct ? I find this interesting because there is quite a bit of various efforts to port GPL'd code and programs to the MS Windows environments. Legally, this would imply stepping very carefully because who knows what proprietary libraries might be linked to get the port to work. Am I correct in this statement ?