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Re: git to libgit2 code relicensing

From
David Brown <git@davidb.org>
Date
Nov 15, 2008, 18:39 UTC
Message-ID
<20081115183948.GA22714@linode.davidb.org>
In-Reply-To
<alpine.LFD.2.00.0811150256140.27509@xanadu.home>
On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 03:04:29AM -0500, Nicolas Pitre wrote:
Show 5 quoted lines
>libgcc is a dynamic library on most modern systems these days. Yet they 
>routinely execute non-GPL programs. If that text intentionally excluded 
>the dynamic case then every non-GPL applications on such systems would 
>have been breaking the license for a long time.  So I don't think anyone 
>could have substance for such a claim.

Sure they can. Lack of enforcement doesn't dilute copyright like it does trademark.

It may be that the gcc authors intend for it to be allowed for dynamic libraries, and therefore wouldn't sue for that usage, but that's not what they're saying in their license.

What I'm saying is that if I was in a position to review the license and determine what was permitted, this license with exception does not appear to allow dynamic linking against the library. It doesn't explicitly forbid this, but it is ambiguous about it.

David
Previous: Nicolas PitreNext: Miklos Vajna
Message 12 of 33 in “git to libgit2 code relicensing”
  1. Andreas EricssonNov 14, 2008
  2. Martin KoeglerNov 14, 2008
  3. Sverre RabbelierNov 14, 2008
  4. Andreas EricssonNov 14, 2008
  5. Andreas EricssonNov 14, 2008
  6. Martin KoeglerNov 15, 2008
  7. Linus TorvaldsNov 14, 2008
  8. Shawn O. PearceNov 14, 2008
  9. David BrownNov 15, 2008
  10. Shawn O. PearceNov 15, 2008
  11. Nicolas PitreNov 15, 2008
  12. David BrownNov 15, 2008
  13. Miklos VajnaNov 15, 2008
  14. Junio C HamanoNov 15, 2008
  15. Miklos VajnaNov 15, 2008
  16. Pierre HabouzitNov 15, 2008
  17. David BrownNov 15, 2008
  18. Linus TorvaldsNov 15, 2008
  19. Andreas EricssonNov 15, 2008
  20. Pau Garcia i QuilesNov 15, 2008
  21. Andreas EricssonNov 15, 2008
  22. Pau Garcia i QuilesNov 15, 2008
  23. Andreas EricssonNov 15, 2008
  24. David BrownNov 15, 2008
  25. Daniel BarkalowNov 16, 2008
  26. René ScharfeNov 20, 2008
  27. Kristian HøgsbergNov 25, 2008
  28. Andreas EricssonNov 16, 2008
  29. Johannes SchindelinNov 16, 2008
  30. Sverre RabbelierNov 16, 2008
  31. Andreas EricssonNov 17, 2008
  32. Shawn O. PearceNov 17, 2008
  33. Andreas EricssonNov 17, 2008

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