Re: [openvrml-develop] Re: OpenVRML in commercial software

[Braden M. <br...@en...>]

Like Chris, I'm not a lawyer, and my interpretation of the LGPL is not
authoritative. But one of the reasons this license was chosen for
OpenVRML was the allowance for use with closed-source projects.

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Raphael Auf der Maur" <rm...@ii...>
> To: <cm...@ve...>
> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2001 7:09 AM
> Subject: OpenVRML in commercial software
> 
> 
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I've a question regarding your great OpenVRML library which is under Lesser
> > GNU licence.
> > 
> > I don't fully understand this licence, mainly paragraph 5. If I got it
> > right, it is allowed to use the library in commercial, not open-sourced
> > software as long as all modifications on the library are published and open
> > sourced too. But in paragraph 5 there are other restrictions mentioned.
> > 
> > -----------

[snipped LGPL quotation]

> > -----------
> > 
> > I'm honestrly not sure what this means. In my software, it is not possible
> > to link a compiled dll dynamicly, so I think I would have to include the
> > h-files of your library in my commecial, not open-sourced software in order
> > to use your library. Is that allowed? You might explain me the restrictions
> > in this paragraph?

It sounds to me like pertinent text is in paragraph 2 of section 5.
Unfortunately the paragraph delimiters were lost in your quotation, so
instead here's that paragraph:


    However, linking a "work that uses the Library" with the Library
    creates an executable that is a derivative of the Library (because
    it contains portions of the Library), rather than a "work that uses
    the library". The executable is therefore covered by this License.
    Section 6 states terms for distribution of such executables.

So your project may use OpenVRML as you describe and the distributed
binary may be licensed under the terms of your choosing, but those terms
and the distribtion must follow the restrictions described in section 6.
Now, in section 6 we have:

    You must give prominent notice with each copy of the work that the
    Library is used in it and that the Library and its use are covered
    by this License. You must supply a copy of this License. If the work
    during execution displays copyright notices, you must include the
    copyright notice for the Library among them, as well as a reference
    directing the user to the copy of this License. Also, you must do
    one of these things:
    
            A. Accompany the work with the complete corresponding
               machine-readable source code for the Library including
               whatever changes were used in the work (which must be
               distributed under Sections 1 and 2 above); and, if the
               work is an executable linked with the Library, with the
               complete machine-readable "work that uses the Library",
               as object code and/or source code, so that the user can
               modify the Library and then relink to produce a modified
               executable containing the modified Library. (It is
               understood that the user who changes the contents of
               definitions files in the Library will not necessarily be
               able to recompile the application to use the modified
               definitions.)
            B. Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with
               the Library. A suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at
               run time a copy of the library already present on the
               user's computer system, rather than copying library
               functions into the executable, and (2) will operate
               properly with a modified version of the library, if the
               user installs one, as long as the modified version is
               interface-compatible with the version that the work was
               made with.
            C. Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at
               least three years, to give the same user the materials
               specified in Subsection 6a, above, for a charge no more
               than the cost of performing this distribution.
            D. If distribution of the work is made by offering access to
               copy from a designated place, offer equivalent access to
               copy the above specified materials from the same place.
            E. Verify that the user has already received a copy of these
               materials or that you have already sent this user a copy.

Now, since you say you can't do B, do A, C, D, or E instead.

-- 
Braden McDaniel                           e-mail: <br...@en...>
<http://endoframe.com>                    Jabber: <br...@ja...>