[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Måns Rullgård) writes: > Jeremy Hankins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >>> What I'm trying to find out is, whether or not it's allowed to write a >>> plugin, using GPL,d libraries, for a program with MIT license, for >>> which there also exists plugins using OpenSSL (or anything >>> GPL-incompatible). >> >> If you want a simply answer, the answer is: "No (insert disclaimers >> here)" as others have pointed out. > > As someone said, writing is always allowed, it's distribution that's > restricted.
That's not quite what I said, and has a critical difference. I said writing *the plugin itself* is allowed. Writing the combined work of the framework, the OpenSSL-using-plugin, and the Readline-using-plugin is not allowed by the GPL. > There have been some indications that a source distribution is > allowed, even if a binary distribution is not. Could someone > clarify? > >> The rest of the discussion is only appropriate if you want to understand >> why that is. But it has to do with intent, sneaky ways one might try to >> get around the GPL, how provable your position is in court, and (perhaps >> most importantly) how deep your pockets are. > > I use plugins for purely technical reasons. If, as a side effect, > otherwise incompatible libraries can be used, it's all the better for > the users of the program. Ask yourself this: is what you're doing in compliance with the wishes of the authors of the various pieces of software you're using? Legal or not, I think what you're considering doing is impolite. > I don't generally trust courts, so I'd rather not end up there. > >> GPL works' authors don't generally care specifically about OpenSSL >> either. But they *don't* want advertisements to accompany their code, >> or any derived work. >> >> So when you get a derived work that contains both of these restrictions, >> it ought to be quite clear that there's no way to meet it. Since you >> can't, you can't distribute. > > Once again, we end up at the words "derived work". Where should I > look for precise definitions this term? For the record, I am doing > this work in Sweden and Norway, in case it makes a difference. Ask a lawyer specializing in copyright in your jurisdictions. -Brian
