** Reply to message from Daniel Ouellet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on Wed,
05 Apr 2006 15:25:52 -0400
>> Back to the original topic,
>>
>> If what you are talking about is rather if you can replace some GPL
>> file by an equivalent one but BSD licensed file, the answer is yes (as
>> long as you don't copy-paste).
>
>But what does that really mean. It sure is NOT that I can sit there and
>retype a printed copy of the software and then release it BSD for sure!
>
>That's really the part I am having problem with. I am not a layers, I
>don't want layers discussions, etc. In practical term, how can this be
>done and what's the line here that makes it either BSD or GNU for stuff
>you write that are inspired may be from GNU? Is code, meaning moving of
>data, processing of data is it, but that you can still use the same data
>structure because it make sense and reeds to be compatible? I don't know
>and I am trying to find out. If you retype the same structure does it
>then make it GNU?
>
>I don't know, what's the rules, how can it be done if even possible.
You may need a so-called "clean room" reimplementation -- where one
team of people analyzes a piece of code and writes documentation for it
and a separate team uses that documentation to write an equivalent
piece of software (and is very careful to never look at the original
code). AFAIK if this is done properly the new code is free of the old
copyright, but I am definitely not an expert on the subject.
Dave
--
Dave Anderson
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
