O Luns, 10 de Xaneiro de 2005 ás 18:53:52 +0100, Jacobo Tarrio escribía: > > What defines GPL compatibility? Modify and distribute? > A license is compatible with the GPL if it does not include any restriction > not present in the GPL.
In my latest message I didn't really say what I really meant, so I'll explain it correctly now :-) Have a program P and a library L; one of them is distributed under the terms of the GPL and the other is distributed under the terms of another license. When you link P with L, the resulting binary B is a work that is covered by the terms of both licenses at the same time. So, when you distribute it, you must satisfy the terms of both licenses at the same time. Now, by the terms of the GPL, the binary B must be licensed as a whole under the terms of the GPL (clause 2b). Furthermore, you cannot impose any restrictions not present in the terms of the GPL (clause 6). So, a license is compatible with the GPL if: - the license does not forbid anything allowed in the GPL - there's nothing which is compulsory in the license but not in the GPL In short: a license is compatible with the GPL if distributing a work in a manner that complies with the GPL would also comply with the license. -- Jacobo Tarrío | http://jacobo.tarrio.org/
