On Tue, Oct 16, 2001 at 02:17:20PM +0200, Timo Blazko Boewing wrote: > a new version is just a number change or complete code rewrite? As far > as I know, if you release something under the terms of the GPL, just > that piece is "forever".
Yes and no. The GPLed release is out there for good and it can't be un-GPLed after being released. However, the copyright holder (i.e., the original author(s)) can release the same code under a non-GPL license and then refuse to do any further work on the GPLed version. This is basically the same as Aladdin's policy of keeping the most current version of ghostscript under a non-Free license and releasing older versions under GPL, aside from the minor detail of which version gets released first. > Is the LGPL the right thing for that? The LGPL is intended for libraries (which is what the first L originally stood for, although I guess RMS wants it to be "Lesser" now) that are so important to have standardized that you're willing to let them be used by non-Free applications. It allows the LGPLed code to be linked to other code without imposing any licensing requirements on that other code. (IANAL. TINLA. YLMV.) -- When we reduce our own liberties to stop terrorism, the terrorists have already won. - reverius Innocence is no protection when governments go bad. - Mr. Slippery
