Re: GPL and other licences

[Alexander Terekhov]

Alan Mackenzie wrote:
[...]
> For example, just last week I needed a function which searches backwards
> a maximum of 3000 bytes from the end of file for "Local Variables:", and
> then deletes any following lines containing "mode:" or "eval:".  I
> extracted the code which did the searching out of an existing function,
> then added the bits to do the deletion.

fancy_file("Alan Mackenzie")
  .locate_backwards_from_end("Local Variables:", 3000)
  .delete_any_following_lines_containing("mode:", "eval:");

You grabbed some code for locate_backwards_from_end() and changed it.

I authored delete_any_following_lines().

> 
> The resulting function is in no way a "compilation" - it is a derivative
> of the original function.

The resulting overall program is a compilation of your work and my 
work. Your work (function locate_backwards_from_end() that contains 
someone else's *modified* code) may well be a derivative work. That 
doesn't change the status of the resulting overall program -- it's 
still a compilation.

Got it now?

regards,
alexander.