Re: [Fxruby-users] Licensing question - I can make money, right?

[jeroen <je...@fo...>]

On Sunday 01 February 2004 11:57 pm, Christopher Sawtell wrote:
> On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:51, Rich wrote:
> > Then if my target audience were Windows-only, I wouldn't have to worry
> > about any of the points you've addressed - is that right?
>
> As far as FOX and FXRuby are concerned it would appear that you are
> correct.
>
> The Ruby interpreter itself is licenced under either the full GPL or by the
> text at http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/LICENSE.txt
>
> I'd suggest that you get explicit permission from the various authors to do
> what you intend to do.
>
> btw, as Ruby is an interpreted language, I'm curious as to how you are
> going to hide your intellectual property from prying eyes. I was under the,
> perhaps incorrect, impression that it is technically impossible. Doesn't
> that render these discussions somewhat moot especially when one remembers
> that there is absolutely no restriction on selling GPL software or
> services.

Indeed.  GPL or LGPL says nothing about price. Note that it also doesn't
say you have to distribute to *everybody*.  If you distribute it only to
your customers, or in-house, then only those recipients need to receive 
the source code of the LGPL/GPL covered code, as far as I understand it.

The LICENSE says so right at the beginning:

	For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis
	or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that we gave
	you.  You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source
	code.  If you link other code with the library, you must provide
	complete object files to the recipients, so that they can relink them
	with the library after making changes to the library and recompiling
	it.  And you must show them these terms so they know their rights.

Note that the recipients of your code have full rights to LGPL/GPL
covered code, but the same is not true of your OWN copyrighted code.

So recipients of your "combined work" may redistribute everything,
EXCEPT your copyrighted Ruby code...


Just because you can read it as plain text doesn't mean its 
not under copyright; most every book you ever read is under copyright,
and while you can copy fragments from them, the entire work may
only be distributed by the original author, or his agents.




	Regards,


			- Jeroen





-- 
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Copyright (C) 23:50 12/11/2003 Jeroen van der Zijp.   All Rights Reserved. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+