From: Earnie B. <ear...@ya...> - 2003-07-27 18:27:45
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<quote> // -*- C++ -*- forwarding header. // Copyright (C) 2000, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc. // // This file is part of the GNU ISO C++ Library. This library is free // software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the // terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the // Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) // any later version. // This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, // but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of // MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the // GNU General Public License for more details. // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along // with this library; see the file COPYING. If not, write to the Free // Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, // USA. // As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software // library without restriction. Specifically, if other files instantiate // templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile // this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this // file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by // the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however // invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by // the GNU General Public License. </quote> Note that the exception is only for a ``free software library''. This means that I cannot use it for my proprietary software. This is not what I was led to believe with earlier versions. What are the alternatives? How can we ensure that our libraries can be used for proprietary means? Earnie. |
From: Oscar F. <of...@wa...> - 2003-07-27 19:42:30
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[Earnie, I'm cc-ing you because, sometimes, my posts to the mailing list are rejected by SF] Earnie Boyd <ear...@ya...> writes: [snip] > // As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software > // library without restriction. Specifically, if other files instantiate > // templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you > compile > // this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this > // file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by > // the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however > // invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by > // the GNU General Public License. > </quote> > > Note that the exception is only for a ``free software library''. My interpretation is that "free software library" refers to libstdc++ itself. > This means that I cannot use it for my proprietary software. Yes, you can. The statement that starts with "Specifically" says your sources are not infected with the GPL if you use libstdc++. This should clear your doubts: http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/17_intro/license.html specially: Q: So any program which uses libstdc++ falls under the GPL? A: No. The special exception permits use of the library in proprietary applications. [snip] -- Oscar |
From: Earnie B. <ear...@ya...> - 2003-07-28 01:53:47
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Oscar Fuentes wrote: > [Earnie, I'm cc-ing you because, sometimes, my posts to the mailing > list are rejected by SF] > > Earnie Boyd <ear...@ya...> writes: > > [snip] > > >>// As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software >>// library without restriction. Specifically, if other files instantiate >>// templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you >>compile >>// this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this >>// file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by >>// the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however >>// invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by >>// the GNU General Public License. >></quote> >> >>Note that the exception is only for a ``free software library''. > > > My interpretation is that "free software library" refers to libstdc++ > itself. > The quote "you may use this file as part of a free software library without restriction" does not refer to libstdc++ as the free software library to which the statement refers. There is nothing in the exception that I should read that gives me permission to use the libstdc++ in closed proprietary software. This of course isn't the correct list to discuss this. I'll have to find an appropriate libstdc++ list for discussion. > >>This means that I cannot use it for my proprietary software. > > > Yes, you can. The statement that starts with "Specifically" says your > sources are not infected with the GPL if you use libstdc++. > True but only in light of the reference to the first sentence of the paragraph. The two sentences are joined by the fact that they are within the same paragraph and thus relevant to each other. > This should clear your doubts: > > http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/17_intro/license.html > > specially: > > Q: So any program which uses libstdc++ falls under the GPL? > A: No. The special exception permits use of the library in proprietary > applications. > Well, this gives an edge to an argument that if indeed the exception pertains to proprietary software that it should be so stated in the exception. However, the special exception itself does not clearly define that fact as it is stated today. I would advise anyone considering use of this library to use the libstdc++ guardedly. > [snip] > Earnie. |
From: Paul G. <pga...@at...> - 2003-07-27 21:50:58
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[snip] > > > // As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free > > software // library without restriction. Specifically, if other > > files instantiate // templates or use macros or inline functions > > from this file, or you compile // this file and link it with other > > files to produce an executable, this // file does not by itself > > cause the resulting executable to be covered by // the GNU General > > Public License. This exception does not however // invalidate any > > other reasons why the executable file might be covered by // the GNU > > General Public License. </quote> > > > > Note that the exception is only for a ``free software library''. > > My interpretation is that "free software library" refers to libstdc++ > itself. > > > This means that I cannot use it for my proprietary software. > > Yes, you can. The statement that starts with "Specifically" says your > sources are not infected with the GPL if you use libstdc++. > > This should clear your doubts: > > http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/17_intro/license.html > > specially: > > Q: So any program which uses libstdc++ falls under the GPL? > A: No. The special exception permits use of the library in proprietary > applications. See also the definition of "copyleft": http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html#WhatIsCopyleft "Copyleft" also covers "proprietary software" -- specifically: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html#ProprietarySoftware Finally, here is the link that pretty much covers most, if not all of the variations: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html Paul G. |