Re: 'GPL encumbrance problems'

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On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 21:40 +0000, Andy Green wrote:
> jdow wrote:
> 
> > Andy, I am a software developer by trade. I use it to earn my daily bread
> > and board. If I develop in an environment that involves GPL I cannot see a
> > model that will continue to feed me and house me unless I take up a side
> > job asking, "Do you want to supersize that, sir?" or sit at my own help
> > desk all day instead of developing. GPL contaminates things too thoroughly.
> > I am not a lawyer. I just read that document and basically stay away from
> > GPL except for some recreational coding I've done.
> 
> I also design software and hardware... but depending on the field you
> work in, GPL stuff can bring an awful lot of firepower to the party very
> cheaply.  Again depending on the circumstance, the compataibility,
> quality, time to market and royalty-free advanatages surrounding that
> can overwhelm the possible competitive disadvantage of having to open
> some of your stuff.
> 
> The general deal is AIUI if you link with GPL'd stuff -- not LGPL'd,
> which will not infect what it links to but only changes to itself -- you
> will have to open your work.  It seems that we crossed a threshold now
> and the signs are that if you generate kernel modules you can expect
> that sources will be demanded.
> 
Not necessarily.  Look at the nVidia and ATI video drivers. They are
kernel modules and the source is not open. They use proprietary code in
the drivers.

> However, there's a lot of room in there for usermode apps that just link
> to LGPL's libraries (like, eg, Oracle) that you for sure won't have to
> open source unless you want to.
> 
> Of course in your particular field if there is no specific benefit to be
> had from using or being directly compatible with GPL'd stuff then it
> makes sense to avoid it.
> 
> But if its just that you are considering to use, say, Fedora as a
> platform for scripts or usermode apps then AFAIUI there is zero leakage
> of the GPL-ness of the OS apps up into your code and BSD or GPL makes no
> odds there.
> 
> -Andy
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