On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 09:17:33AM +0100, David Kuehling wrote: > >>>>> "Andy" == Andy Peters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > To continue on the "GPL and BSD" topic ... Just to clarify: if I use > > GPLed or BSD-licensed tools to develop hardware, as well as using > > GPLed symbols/footprints, am I obligated to open-source the hardware > > design (the schematic, the PCB layout)? > > Just my two cents: > > I once asked the author of the Lout typesetting system about whether the > output PostScript files wouldn't be covered by GPL since they obviously > contained the GPLed PostScript prologue of Lout. IIRC I was told I > could run the files through "ps2ps" which would remove any literal > PostSript code. Since the output of a program won't fall under the > program's copyright the result wouldn't be covered by GPL. > > For PCB that might be the same: if you distribute gerber files, you > distribute the *output* of PCB, which obviously doesn't contain literal > code from the footprints. If you distribute a .pcb-file, that is
What about "derived work"? Isn't a Gerber derived work from the PCB? If someone paints a painting on canvas and I make a digital shot, it will be a different object (painting on canvas vs. data in a memory card), but it represents the same work and is covered by the copyright too. CL< > different though. For M4-generated elements, you are in some way > distributing "output" but in some way a literal copy. > > GCC has clarifications for their runtime support library. Which seems > to be called a license's "runtime exception". Symols/footprints seem to > need something like that. And if I understand DJs mail correctly that't > excactly what a "usage license" would be. Maybe just make it a "usage > exception" addendum? Also see this link about g++ run-time : > > http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/17_intro/license.html > > regards, > > David > -- > GnuPG public key: http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~dvdkhlng/dk.gpg > Fingerprint: B17A DC95 D293 657B 4205 D016 7DEF 5323 C174 7D40 > > > > _______________________________________________ > geda-user mailing list > geda-user@moria.seul.org > http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user _______________________________________________ geda-user mailing list geda-user@moria.seul.org http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user