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List:       gphoto-devel
Subject:    Re: [gphoto-devel] Re: Introduction and Comments
From:       Johannes Erdfelt <johannes () erdfelt ! com>
Date:       2000-08-21 23:13:40
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On Mon, Aug 21, 2000, Richard Stallman <rms@santafe.edu> wrote:
>     > Copylefting a piece of code doesn't make that code any "more free"
>     > than if it were not copylefted.  But it ensures that every user of the
>     > code has the freedoms that make for free software, and it helps make
>     > other code free.  So copylefting one piece of software leads to
>     > increased freedom for software users, by making *other* software free
>     > which wouldn't have been.
> 
>     I think I have a good understanding of your argument now.
> 
>     I don't think this method of getting people to GPL their software is the
>     best way of doing so.
> 
> This is the idea of copyleft; the GPL was designed specifically to
> work this way.  It is a very effective method of bringing about the
> release of more free software, and that makes it a good method.

Just to clarify, it makes it a good method for the Free Software
movement since it makes more free software.

> Copyleft does not require people "GPL their software" when it extends
> our GPL-covered program, although in most cases that is what they do.
> People can release their additions to a GPL-covered program under
> other GPL-compatible licenses, such as the X11 license or the revised
> BSD license or the W3C license or the LGPL.  The GPL is not the only
> option.

Thanks for the clarification. I understand.

> What copyleft does require is that the extensions be released as free
> software.

Gotcha.

I still vote for LGPL since I don't want to make the decision for the
person linking against the library. I'll take freedom of choice over
free software.

Anyway, that's all I'll say about this. Licensing is a touchy issue that
I really don't want to spend too much time on.

JE

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