On 02/17/11 19:48, Jonathan Rochkind wrote: > On 2/17/2011 12:50 PM, Eric Hellman wrote: >> If list members would like to "name and shame" GPL incompatible >> interfaces that they're stuck working with, have at it. If I'm >> mistaken and there are none left, then I'd like to know it. > > Well, the problem with "viral" licenses like GPL is that other licenses > are essentially incompatible with them _unless_ they are open source -- > at least if you want to share the product of your combination of those > two libraries. > > You can't combine non-open-source code and GPL code in a single project. > That's very different from saying something with a GPL license can't use a proprietary interface. As if for example Xerxes couldn't use the Metalib API - without which it would be pointless. As I understand him Eric is saying that there are interfaces to library software which actually have a license or contract which blocks GPLed software from using them. It would be a kind of 'viral BSD' license, killing free software (in the FSF sense) but leaving proprietary or open source (in your Apache/MIT sense) untouched. I haven't seen any examples myself, and can't quite see how it would be done legally. > Personally, I much prefer "non-viral" type open source licenses like > Apache or MIT for this reason. The GPL advocates argue that viral-type > licenses like GPL are "more free" because nobody can take GPL code and > turn it into a proprietary product. I see what they're trying to do. > But from my perspective 'non-viral' open source licenses like Apache are > 'more free' because it gives the user the freedom to combine Apache code > with non-open-source code in a project. You can't do that with GPL, > which seems less free to me. This is a classic position which is now 20 years or so old; I don't think anyone on either side is likely to come up with a new argument - you take your pick, and then try to find the best way to live with the people you don't agree with, because neither side is going away in a hurry. Graham > > Jonathan