On Sat, 25 Sep 2004, Tres Seaver wrote:
IANAL, bu wouldn't it be truer to say that the GPL does not allow *distribution* of Squid linked with software under non-GPL-compatible licenses?
True. As long as you do not distribute you are free to do pretty much anything you like for your own personal use (including internally within the company).
But it should be noted that the module will with no doubt inherit the GPL status if it does as much as includes a single GPL header from the GPL program sources. (see also all sections below)
And I am not sure that dynamic linking triggers the "derivative work" provisions, particularly if Squid continues to function without the presence of the library.
The general concensus is that it does, at least in the case when the thing being dynamically linked is explicitly designed to be dynamically linked into this GPL program. And certainly so if the dynamically linked item needs to make any calls into the GPL component to perform it's function. But this usually this question sorts out quite naturally from the clear cut GPL depencencies mentioned above.
Note particulary:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLAndPlugins
Indeed. A GPL program can be designed to support plugins in such manner that the plugins does not need to be GPL licensed. A good example is to be able to use existing plugins written for another software and built using SDKs for that other software. Or when the module interface is defined using a less aggressive license allowing the module interface to be defined as a GPL boundary.
and the use of the word "believe" in that language. The GPL itself does not mention dynamic linking at all.
It does not really need to. dynamic linking is little more than delayed linking, and it has a very clear position on linking. But it is true that this part of the GPL has not yet been tested in the corts.
Regards Henrik
Note: Anything said in this message regarding the GPL is my personal opinions. If you need legal advice regarding GPL inheritance please get legal advice from your lawyer or other authorized party.
