[Savannah-hackers] Re: PHP4 license

[Mathieu Roy]

Hugo Gayosso <address@hidden> said:

> James Michael DuPont <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > Ok, Thank you for your advice. I have followed this and am in
> > contact already with the FSF about this isssue.
> > 
> > I was asking a general question, but the relevance is really to the
> > Savannah project.
> > 
> > There are some (let them remain unnamed) people trying to paint the
> > GPLEd Sourceforge code with an LGPL coat of paint, so the that they
> > may link in non-free software into the distribution, or even sell
> > non-free additions to the code.
> > 
> > My question is really directed towards that activitity and in
> > specific,
> > 
> > can a user make a non-free php plug in and distributed specific
> > querys about the sf database structure, and still remain separate?
> 
> Does any of the savannah-hackers team members know the answer for
> this?

If I correctly understand, my answer would be positive. SF update a
database. Another software can gather this data using SQL commands and
directly reedit those data.
Basically, it's just like if you were creating a file with Gnumeric
and then edit it with a proprietary software like MS Excel.

But if the second software is technically-speaking a "plug in", which
mean it relies on SF functions, it's a license violation. What means
painting the GPL code by LGPL coat of paint; creating functions like
NEW_LGPL_this_function(SF_GPL_this_function($args)); ? I do not think
it's legal. If so, it would be a GPL hole.







-- 
Mathieu Roy
 
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