Tom Tobin wrote: > I'm thinking something along these lines: > > The background situation: X is a library distributed under the GPL. Y > is another library that uses that library and requires it in order to > compile and function. > > 1) Is there any scenario where Y can be distributed under a non-GPL > license (e.g., the BSD)? > > 2) If so, what would Y's author need to do (or *not* do)? > > 3) If Y must be released under the GPL under the above scenario, and > someone subsequently wrote library Z, an API compatible replacement > for X, and released it under the BSD license, would Y's author now be > permitted to release Y under the BSD? > > (Feel free to add more questions, and/or suggest tweaks.)
Based on the discussion so far, I think you need to distinguish between distributing source and distributing binaries. For example: Background: X is a library distributed under GPL. Y is another library which calls external functions in the API of X. Assume X and Y have different authors. 1. Can the author of Y legally distribute the *source* of Y under a non-GPL licence (BSD3, Modified BSD, etc), assuming such source is distributed without any binaries, and is distributed separately from X? 2. etc. Question 1 covers the situation at hand, and keeps the initial line of questioning simple and specific. _______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list [email protected] http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
