Re: Licensing of Guile code loaded by libguile.so

[Dr. Arne Babenhauserheide]

Felix Lechner via "Developers list for Guile, the GNU extensibility library" 
<guile-devel@gnu.org> writes:
> I would like to release some code under the GPL.  libguile.so calls it
> from C.  The setup is similar to the code in the Tortoise tutorial. [1]
>
> Guile is licensed under the LGPL, so it is possible for proprietary
> programs to use libguile.so.  I would now like to ensure that those
> proprietary programs may also legally run my code..
>
> May I publish my project under the GPL, or should I also choose the LGPL
> like Guile?

The rule of thumb is, if you want proprietary software to use your code,
you must choose LGPL.

> I am in contact with the licensing folks at FSF, but hope to collect
> some input here, as well.
>
> The technical question is, I think, whether libguile executes Guile code
> in a manner that is considered being "run" or being "linked."  The
> answer could potentially be different for compiled or uncompiled code.

Since the license is LGPLv3 or later, and version 3 has a clearer
definition of the corresponding source: is there “intimate data
communication or control flow”?

See https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0 1. paragraph 4: Corresponding Source.

So I think your code would be part of the corresponding source of the
linked libguile, which would propagate the requirements of the GPL.

I’m not a lawyer, though, so better wait for the reply from FSF before
making a final decision.

> P.S. I'm not subscribed to your list; please copy me on your replies.
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