----- Original Message ----- From: "David Freeman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 6:09 AM Subject: RE: [PHP] Re: Public Scripts in a commercial product
> > > Yes, I am afraid that regarding GPL I have to agree with > > Microsoft when they say it is a cancer. The problem is that if you > want to > > distribute something that incorporates GPL licensed components, your > > software also needs to be distributed as GPL and so it gets > contaminated. > > This means that you can't sell your closed source software if you > > incorporate GPL components. > > I'm quite happy to be corrected on this but I have always understood GPL > licensing to mean that any GPL code you include should be available in > source version. The methods by which you use that GPL code doesn't > necessarily have to be included. The only relevant example I can think > of is if you include a class in php that is GPL then you have to > distribute the source even if you compile it with zend for your own > application. > > It is my understanding, in this situation, that you aren't necessarily > required to release the code you have written as GPL though. Basically, > I thought that once something is GPL it is pretty much public forever > but that doesn't stop you from including it in your own proprietory work > as long as you include the source for the GPL stuff. Unfortunately, you are required to release your entire project as GPL if you use GPL'd components - the GPL licence is quite clear. Quoted from section 2 of the GPL: (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt) "b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License." I think you're thinking of the much less restrictive LesserGPL (LGPL) which requires you to make the source available for the LGPL components and any changes you've made to those components but doesn't require you to release the entire project. Like most people I know, I'm totally against the GPL license and totally for Apache/BSD and LGPL licenses. HTH Danny. -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
