Okay I am no expert on GPL but I will give you my understanding.
On Fri, 4 Aug 2000 10:08:50 +0200, Jung , Christoph wrote:
>Hi there,
>
>we are just about to donate some code to jBoss (the ZOAP project). We are
>evaluating the GPL for that purpose. Maybe somebody on this list has
>experience with Open Source licensing, so I d like to ask you a question
>about it ...
>
>I (the developer) originally proposed to come up with some Apache or BSD
>kind of stuff to ensure enough interest of third parties. Our management
>however recognises the importance of the investment saving aspect in the GNU
>stuff!
>
>The technical problem is that there are a few classes that are an integral
>part of our tool framework. We must ensure that we can import them, add
>value to them, and sell them as a part of a non-GPL-infected tool-suite.
Okay I take it from this that you want to release these classes as
GPL'd but also want to include them in your own closed source work? If
that is the case it is my understanding that there is no problem with
this as you are still the owner of the copyright. The GPL only effects
how other people use your source/product that is released under the
GPL. It is my understanding you can still do what you want with the
code itself. Of course one area that hasn't been that clear to me is
what happens to bug fixes and/or enhancements made by other people. I
am not sure how these will effect/inffect your close source versions.
>
>I must clarify that this requirement does not hold for most of the package
>and most certainly not for (third-party) modifications and donations that
>will be added during a successful Open Source process ... So it s not a
>Mozilla/Netscape kind of thing which I cannot imagine that it will lead to a
>large community.
>
>We are now puzzling over the sentence in the GPL that says "Each licensee is
>addressed as you ...". Does this mean that the donator, i.e. the "Licensor",
>is not necessarily forced to infect its derivations from the original source
>(i.e., the files in the "pre-donated state") with the GPL?
I believe that this is the case. Have you tried the GNU site?
Here is the URL for the license section:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html
you can also e-mail them at [EMAIL PROTECTED], for the most part they are
actually nice people not the mad dog communists that some people try to
portray them as.
>
>Any comment will be appreciated.
>
>Best,
>CGJ
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger Mostad [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." -- Mae West
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
