[gameprogrammer] Re: GPL Questions

On Wednesday 26 May 2004 01.04, Kevin Jenkins wrote:
> For anyone familiar with the GPL License:
>
> Is it permissable for a program using the GPL license to use a 3rd
> party library that is not released under the GPL?

Well, GPL applications do that all the time when they run on 
poprietary operating systems... (Most OS interfaces are libraries 
that you link statically or dynamically.)


> What about, if
> like my API, that library is open-source and freely distributable?
> What if that API is only released in binary form?

It doesn't matter, as the GPL doesn't "infect" in that direction. The 
restrictions apply when other code uses the GPL code; not the other 
way around.


> One clause I noted is that it seems like it is ok to use a 3rd
> party library in binary form as long as written requests to get the
> source to the binaries are honored. Does that source have to be
> under the GPL, or is simply providing the source enough?

Which clause is that? AFAIK, the license is about the GPLed code 
itself; not about whatever other stuff it may use.

There can't very well be any requirements on external code that your 
code depends on, as that would make it a violation to run GPLed 
software on any non-Free operating system, and possibly even any 
machine with a non-Free BIOS and/or devices with non-Free firmware.


//David Olofson - Programmer, Composer, Open Source Advocate

.- Audiality -----------------------------------------------.
|  Free/Open Source audio engine for games and multimedia.  |
| MIDI, modular synthesis, real time effects, scripting,... |
`-----------------------------------> http://audiality.org -'
   --- http://olofson.net --- http://www.reologica.se ---



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