[Gtk2forpascal-devel] License

[Mattias G. <nc-...@ne...>]

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Due to recent discussions in the Lazarus mailing list, the FPC core team
has
reviewed the COPYING.FPC file as distributed in the RTL, Compiler and
FCL
sources. The modified LGPL has been serving us well for nearly 10 years,

we see no reason to change it now. The FPC team considers the modified
LGPL 
still the best license for all Free Pascal related things, and decided 
that the license will not be changed to another license (in particular, 
MPL or BSD style licenses).

However, it was noted that the phrasing of the COPYING.FPC left some
doubt 
as to the intentions of the FPC developers, which can be roughly stated 
as follows:

People are allowed to use the sources as they see fit. However, if they 
change the sources, these changes must be donated back to the open
source 
community. You are, however, free to use the sources in your application

"as is": Your own code can be distributed under any license you like,
but 
the part which is RTL/FCL is open source and must remain so.

To make these intensions more clear, The exception made in the file 
COPYING.FPC file has been updated with a 'linking-exceptiong' text 
which is more clear, and is in line with the views of the FPC
developers.

The text reads as follows:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you
permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
executable, regardless of the license terms of these independent
modules,
and to copy and distribute the resulting executable under terms of your
choice,
provided that you also meet, for each linked independent module, the
terms
and conditions of the license of that module. An independent module is a
module which is not derived from or based on this library. If you modify
this
library, you may extend this exception to your version of the library,
but
you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this
exception
statement from your version.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We do not consider this a change of license, merely a more clear
statement
of the intentions of the FPC developers as stated above.

2 closing notes:

- The statements here only pertain to the RTL and FCL and compiler. 
  The LCL (the visual class library used by Lazarus) has it's own
license.
  This is explicitly allowed by the LGPL and above modification. The
Lazarus
  team can of course decide to follow the FPC team, but is under no
  obligation to do so.

- The statements made in this mail are not legally binding. 
  Only the files COPYING and COPYING.FPC in the directories rtl,
compiler 
  and fcl as distributed by the FPC team are legally binding.

We hope that the issue is now clarified, and that all discussions on the
matter can be closed. 

Speaking for the FPC team,

Michael.
--- snap ---


The gtk2forpascal project also uses the old text (modified.LGPL). Should
we change the license as well?


Mattias