I am concerned whether a Corba interface can be used by non-free software to circumvent the freedoms and requirements of the GPL license. I realise "mere aggregation" vs the definition of a copyright derived work is a complex scenario, so I will try to keep my posting generic.
A proprietary vendor could create non-free software that functionally would amount to a derived work, without actually making a derived work within the meaning of copyright law. Would this break the spirit of the GPL while complying with its terms, hence not be enforcable under copyright law? I have seen the Corba 'serverizing' analogy discussed on this list, and have looked around the FSF website for clarification but I don't see any position statement from FSF addressing this issue. The nearest entry in the FSF GPL-FAQ is the "pipes and sockets" definition, which suggests this form of abstract inter-process communication is an acceptable mechanism for GPL software to interwork with non-free modules. I've also read the earlier icense-discuss postings of Mr Perens, Mr Stallman and others regarding the use of Corba in this manner. The absence of a position from the FSF appears to be potentially damaging the GPL community, which risks losing freedom to the proponents of non-free software. Here is an example of Corba 'serverizing': A GPL application is modified by a vendor of non-free software, who adds a Corba server API to the application. The vendor releases the source code to the GPL application and modifications per the GPL terms. The vendor then creates a non-free Corba client application which uses that API but incorporates none of the GPL code. The source code to the client application is not released by the vendor. Non-free applications could also be used as Corba servers to a GPL client application in the same manner. Essentially the freedom of the GPL codebase is reduced either way around. -- Iain W. Barker, FSF member 336. [EMAIL PROTECTED] .--- .-..-..-..-. .-. .-..-..-..-..-..-..-. ||_-.| .` || || | // | |_ | || .` || || | > < `---'`-'`-'`----' `---'`-'`-'`-'`----''-'`-` Life's too short to compute on anything else -- license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3