Re: can one build commercial applications with latest gnat and other licenses related questions...

[Georg Bauhaus <bauhaus@futureapps.de>]

gshapovalov@gmail.com wrote:

>> ...
>> -- As a special exception, if other files instantiate generics from  --
>> ...
> 
> Exactly because of this clause still in the specs and no COPYING
> provided and somewhere in some file (not normally expected place) there
> was a statement that is is *GPL* I contacted GtkAda developers to
> clarify this (when I was repackaging GtkAda for Gentoo). This is the
> responce I got:
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Arnaud Charlet <charlet@adacore.com>
> To: George Shapovalov <george@gentoo.org>
> Date: 19.5.06 10.20
> 
> George,
> 
> All the packages available in libre.adacore.com are available under
> the pure GPL license, this includes among others GtkAda and XML/Ada.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Arno
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I don't think he could have been any more explicit in his responce. So,
> it seems GtkAga and everything coming from AdaCore is pure GPL or
> commercial nowadays..

I don't think his words are suitable for legal determinism, for a
number of reasons.
Among these are: what is "package", does "*availabble* under the pure
GPL" imply "available under nothing else",  etc. Does relevant law
say something about good faith and the exception clause etc. etc.. 
I'm not saying that he has not meant that all AdaCore software is
available to non-customers at libre only under the terms of the GPL,
without exception.

These words should be spoken and dealt with by lawyers, if there
is really a need. Maybe AdaCore employees are really nice people
and won't hunt you if you do something wrong legally, and sort
things out in a satisfactory manner.
The readme.txt file in the GPL edition of AWS still has the sentence
"AWS is distributed under the GMGPL (GNAT Modified GPL) license."
I don't think it means a thing, but it might be a documentation bug.