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Re: Reading NI TDMS files


From: David Bateman
Subject: Re: Reading NI TDMS files
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:30:51 +0100
User-agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 (X11/20060921)

Sergei Steshenko wrote:
> --- David Bateman <address@hidden> wrote:
>   
>> Use a mex-file, then you can say it was for matlab and still link
>> against Octave (tongue in cheek).. Seriously, I think the fact that we
>> can use mex-files in Octave makes all of this argument moot..
>>
>> D.
>>     
>
> Let me generalize your point.
>
> There is an interface, like the one of mex files or of TDMS files.
>
> There is a piece of software which knows to talk through the interface.
>
> There are users who free to do whatever they want in the privacy of their
> homes/offices as long as they do not redistribute the software against
> the terms of the software license.
>
>   

My point was also that you can distribute the code of the mex-file
interface as it can link against matlab, and as it uses matlab's API
that might be said to be its primary use. If a user that downloads the
code chooses to link against Octave that is their problem and as long as
they don't distribute the resulting binary, nothing can be said to have
been done that is against the GPL, and the "user makes the link"
argument of FSF doesn't hold water as the primary use of the code is to
link against matlab.

The intention of the person distributing the code (source or binary)
makes a huge difference in how this should be treated. If some one is
trying to rip off a GPL code for their personal profit, I say "hang em
high".. If they are supplying an interface to a proprietary library to
maximum to value of the GPL software for a certain group of users,
without any personal profit, I think we should turn a blind eye..

Regards
David

-- 
David Bateman                                address@hidden
Motorola Labs - Paris                        +33 1 69 35 48 04 (Ph) 
Parc Les Algorithmes, Commune de St Aubin    +33 6 72 01 06 33 (Mob) 
91193 Gif-Sur-Yvette FRANCE                  +33 1 69 35 77 01 (Fax) 

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