Re: [ANNOUNCE] XML/Ada 0.5 released

[dvdeug@x8b4e53cd.dhcp.okstate.edu (David Starner)]

On Thu, 03 May 2001 16:39:51 +0200, Thierry Lelegard <thierry.lelegard@canal-plus.fr> wrote:
> I am not a lawyer (far from that), not even a GNU lawyer. However, I used
> to think that LGPL precisely does not apply to shareable libraries (.so),
> but only to object libraries (.a).
> 
> When you distribute a commercial software on Linux (for instance), you do
> NOT redistribute any .so file, you use the one that is on the end-user's
> system. On the other hand, you redistribute part of the content of the
> .a files. This is why, in my opinion, LGPL applies to .a files, while
> GPL is fine for .so files.

The FSF doesn't agree; in their opinion, a lot of the technical 
arguments are moot, as what will rule the day in court is the legal
arguments. And in their opinion, linking is linking, and will be 
treated the same in court. 

In general, most people who use GPL for libaries intend for it work
the way the FSF says it works. Taking your approach with someone else's
library without their permission may find you in court, or at least 
the target of a lot of pissed-off free software people.

-- 
David Starner - dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org
Pointless website: http://dvdeug.dhis.org
"I don't care if Bill personally has my name and reads my email and 
laughs at me. In fact, I'd be rather honored." - Joseph_Greg