Re: AdaCore ... the Next SCO?

[M E Leypold <development-2006-8ecbb5cc8aREMOVETHIS@ANDTHATm-e-leypold.de>]

Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org> writes:

> M E Leypold writes:
> > Can I:
> >
> >   - Have sources S1, S2, S3 with S1 and S2 being dirtributed to me
> >     under the GMGPL whereas S3 is GPL.
> 
> Yes.
> 
> >   - I then compile S1, S2, S3 to X. 
> 
> Yes.
> 
> >   - Obviously X is covered by GPL: I must distribute S1, S2, S3 with X
> >     as the GPL demands.
> 
> Yes, and you must distribute the sources of X, too, since X must be
> under terms compatible with the GPL.  

Yes, of course. My idea was that there is no extra source. It is S2
which has the main procedure and glues S1 and S3 together :-).

> You can even choose to distribute X under GMGPL.

> >   - But cant' I state that S1, S2 are under GMGPL -- that is, anyone
> >     receiving them is allowed to unbundle them from the source package
> >     of X (which is actually made up from 3 different trees) and can
> >     distribute them (S1, S2) as GMGPL sources or create other GMGPL,
> >     GPL or even closed executables from them.
> 
> Yes, that's true.  To make things clear to the licensee, you can
> distribute the libraries, and X, in separate source packages.

OK. That answers at least one of the questions with which I started 2
weeks (??) ago in the DTRAQ thread.

> > Question: Is there any contradiction in the license terms or is that
> > permissible? 
> 
> I don't think there is a contradiction.

> > Of course one would want to do that for whatever reason ever. I do not
> > want to discuss the fairness or unfairness of that or what one could
> > expect the authors of S1, S2 to do or not to do. I just want to know,
> > wether the authors of S1 and S2 (if they want) license S1 and S2 as
> > GMGPL and be sure that they can be used in aforesaid manner.
> 
> Yes, they can.
> 
> > Or do they have to license as GPL to ensure "linkability" with a GPL
> > library?
> 
> No, they don't.  The GMGPL already ensures "linkability", it is
> GPL-compatible.

Thanks. At least we have an agreement here in opinion, even if we are
not lawyers. Some of the arguments I heard in the discussion seemed to
imply different or skirted the issue altogether.

Regards -- Markus