Re: using GPL api to be used in a properietary software

[Martin Dickopp]

Isaac <isaac@latveria.castledoom.org> writes:

> On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:39:11 +0100, Martin Dickopp 
> <expires-2005-04-30@zero-based.org> wrote:
>> You can read about the position of the FSF here:
>> 
>>   http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation
>> 
>> In particular, if the separate GPL'ed executable has no purpose on its
>> own, but is created solely to circumvent the license of the library,
>> then it is *not* okay.
>
> The quoted link seems to suggest that using pipes as IPC and execing a
> GPLed binary is a satisfactory work around.

Not at all:

| By contrast, pipes, sockets and command-line arguments are
| communication mechanisms *normally* used between two separate
| programs.

(Emphasis mine.)

That suggests to me that the /mechanism/ of communication provides
some hints...

| But if the semantics of the communication are intimate enough,
| exchanging complex internal data structures, that too could be
| a basis to consider the two parts as combined into a larger
| program.

...but that the /semantics/ of communication is really decisive.

Martin