Grzegorz B. Prokopski writes: > Do you understand that an interpreter for Java IS such an interpreter > that provides "bindings" to other facilities? > > Do you understand that a program being interpreted is effectively > linked to these facilities it uses thru these bindings? > > Do you understand that in case we're discussing these facilities are > released under the GPL?
Do you understand that the user has non-GPL options for those facilities, that the program works perfectly well with those non-GPL options, and that the user's choice to use a GPLed facility does not encumber the program? > Do you understand that in case we're discussing even the java library > itself is under GPL? (or at least parts of it, which is about the same) Do you understand that the FSF (and especially not the GPL FAQ) is not the final authority on questions of law? If you want to hear it from them, ask licensing_at_gnu_dot_org if that part of the FAQ applies when the linked APIs are part of the standard Java API. It is not hard: Some distribution of Eclipse is only encumbered by the GPL if it requires a GPLed work to correctly operate. You may have some odd version of Eclipse, but the standard releases have no such requirement. Michael Poole
