MorphOS Developer
Posts: 619 from 2005/8/27
From: the land with ...
Quote:
@Crumb
You mean that it's not possible to create datatypes based on GPL code without author's permission? GPL sucks a lot.
GPL does indeed suck alot when you use it without knowing what it does (and many do unfortunately), but you have to remember that most of the time the authors of GPL software are doing you a favour when opensourcing software, even though the license might be too restrictive for your particular use...
Anyway, to answer your question; it is possible to create datatypes based on GPL code as GPL has an exception for linking against the OS, and as datatypes are an integral part of MorphOS and applications access datatypes agnostically through the datatypes' superclass it's legal (you obviously still have to make the sources to the datatype available though).
Quote:
Would the plug-in be illegal it it used code licensed as GPL v2? I've heard GPL2 is less restrictive but I don't know the exact details.
Well not exactly, but almost everything uses GPL v2 these days (and I'm basing all my statements on this version of the license). ;)
Quote:
I mean... DvPlayer for OS4 has a libdvdcss, and this library is licensed as GPL2... would that plugin be illegal?
Yes, that plugin is illegal.
Quote:@Jupp
What if someone created a browser, that has a plugin-interface that's 100% compatible to that of Sputnik, but the whole thing would be licenced under GPL. Then everyone just created plugins for that browser instead? (see where I'm getting?)
Yes, I see where you're getting, but that doesn't solve the problem .. the plugin would still be illegal to use with the non-GPL compatible browser, it doesn't change anything. In fact it only makes it worse as you intentionally do this just so that users can and most likely will (since I guess your GPL compatible browser won't be as useful) deliberately incriminate themselves...
- CISC
