Re: GPL question

[Rui Miguel Silva Seabra]

On Sat, Oct 13, 2007 at 10:34:36AM +0200, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
>    On Oct 12, 9:37 am, Rui Miguel Silva Seabra <r...@1407.org> wrote:
>    > On Fri, Oct 12, 2007 at 06:03:03AM -0700, Mike Cox wrote:
>    > > I am still confused. Does mere linking make the result realy
>    > > *contain* code from a GPL program?
>    >
>    > Most rational people consider it so, but you seem to want legal advice
>    > so I hope you follow the sane reasoning of taking the license to a
>    > lawyer and obtain a binding legal opinion.
>    >
>    > Otherwise, feel free to run the risks of getting fired or bankrupt.
>    >
>    > > How come they are allowed to do that but I am not?
>    >
>    > Are you sure they didn't get a proprietary license from the authors?
>    > It could also be the case that they haven't been caught yet...
>    >
> 
>    I'd find it a little strange that a Free software author -- no, not
>    just that, but one for the *GNU Project*, as I think "libbfd" is
>    GNU -- would agree to a proprietary (ie. goes against the ideals of
>    "Freedom") license, unless of course they realized that _their_
>    stuff would still be free as you could get the code for it from
>    some place, eg they just gave a license that overrode the virality.
> 
> First of all, the GNU GPL is not viral.  You are free to not accept
> it.  Secondly, Rui is simply confused, most probobly not knowing that
> BFD is part of the GNU projetc, and that the FSF is the copyright
> holder.  One cannot remeber what every tiny bit of software is part
> of.
> 
>    However it still seems odd that a GNU Project author would
>    even support a proprietary project...
> 
> He didn't.  All Rui noted was that the copyright holder (not knowing
> that it was the FSF) could have licnesed the program under a
> proprietary license.  This is a simple fact.

Yes, I had no idea it was a GNU project. If I did I wouldn't even
raise the possibility :)

Rui

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