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List:       kde
Subject:    Re: Liscencing Issue - Taking Action
From:       troy <jhtd () mts ! net>
Date:       2000-06-11 5:22:23
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On Sat, 10 Jun 2000, mosfet wrote:
> forge wrote:
> > Another question.
> > What prevents Debian from including
> > QT, QT-KDE-ADDON, KDESUPPORT and KDELIBS ?
> > Is there now a conflict between the LGPL, QPL, and BSD licenses ?
>
> Their position is not even we kde core developers that write all our own
> original code can link to Qt with an unmodified GPL. That's right - they
> think it ambigious that we allow things like kdelibs, konqueror, kcalc,
> etc... to link to Qt ;-) We wrote the configure to link to Qt, call Qt
> in every GUI part of the application, uploaded it to KDE CVS, etc... yet
> they insist that somehow it may not be allowed by us that you link to
> Qt. Very, very silly stuff.

And do you know what, I agree with you, however I am just trying to 
unofficially resolve the conflict.  Even if we do not ammend the licence, we 
could however prove to debian (through the database I have started) that 
every KDE developer has given their assent to link to Qt.

We don't necessarily have to ammend the licence, we may just have to prove to 
debain that lniking to Qt is okay with the developers.  

So far, of the 40 or so I've sent, I've received one 'no' and that had to do 
with modifying the GPL, no against linking to Qt (who would in reality say no 
to that).  Maybe this will be the outcome.  Either way, I will try my best.

TRoy Unrau

> > Maybe they would have included those things if they were sincere ?
> > As for changing the license.  There really is no reason to bother
> > unless you think it is a *real* legal problem.
> >
> > mosfet wrote:
> > > troy wrote:
> > > > Hi Tim,
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, 09 Jun 2000, Timothy R. Butler wrote:
> > > > > Is this really happening and official, or is this just something
> > > > > Troy wants to do? And if it is, I don't quite understand the
> > > > > changes - does it mean that KDE will no longer be using verbatim
> > > > > GPL/LGPL licensing?
> > >
> > > This is not official. It's something Troy (who I never heard of)
> > > evidently decided to do on your own.
> > >
> > > > >   Thanks,
> > > > >        Tim
> > > >
> > > > Please visit the following for more information:
> > > > http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/06/06/135218&mode=thread
> > > > It shows the need for such a change.
> > >
> > > We don't change our licenses based on Slashdot articles.
> > >
> > > > Basically it is simply adding a clause to be able to 'legally' link
> > > > to the GPL.  This is required by distros such a debain in order to
> > > > include KDE.
> > >
> > > No it's not. They can include KDE at any time they like without legal
> > > ramification. US law has something called intent that applies to
> > > licenses, and saying applications in KDE CVS need to include specific
> > > provisions in order to link to KDE is foolish in the extreme. Users
> > > have the right to be able to use their programs, and Qt linking is a
> > > requirement. It does not need to be specifically stated in the license.
> > >
> > > Many developers hacking in KDE CVS have discussed the issue and decided
> > > not to give into Debian's demands since they are legally unjustified.
> > >
> > > Troy, you have the right to include anything you like in code that
> > > *you* write. If you don't like the licenses others choose to use for
> > > the free software they have written deal with it. Don't start going
> > > down a list of every KDE CVS users and start harrassing them to change.
> > > That is an extreme rudeness.
> > >
> > > > Troy Unrau
> > > > jhtd@mts.net

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