On May 14, 2012, at 12:02 PM, Simon Hobson wrote: > Chuck Swiger wrote: >>> What if WE made an AV plugin DLL to link our software with libclamav? >> >> If your software license isn't GPL-miscible, then you should not >> redistribute the combination of your software, the plugin, and ClamAV. > > Isn't this a case where the component they've linked with (in this case) > ClamAV would need to be GPL, but the other component it talks to doesn't need > to be ?
Yes, if "talks to" means an external connection to a network port or local filesystem socket, then the other component doesn't need to be GPL-miscible. If the other component gets linked into a single program, then the GPL folks claim that makes them a single work which needs to be licensed under GPL-compatible terms. > I'm assuming these are separate units - ie there's the closed main system, > and the GPL plugin code linked with ClamAV. > > The fact that the closed main system is distributed alongside the GPL code > doesn't mean it has to be GPL - provided they are clear in the documentation > etc which parts are closed, and which are GPL. Very much a flip round of the > case where software uses non-free libraries > (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FSWithNFLibs) That's right. Mere aggregation on storage media does not imply a licensing relationship (see prolog to GPLv2 clause 3, and similar in GPLv3 clause 6). Regards, -- -Chuck _______________________________________________ Help us build a comprehensive ClamAV guide: visit http://wiki.clamav.net http://www.clamav.net/support/ml
