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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Noatun: Licensing, and a new one
From:       Charles Samuels <charles () kde ! org>
Date:       2001-01-02 20:41:39
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On Tuesday 02 January 2001 11:57 am, Waldo Bastian wrote:
> On Tuesday 02 January 2001 00:39, Charles Samuels wrote:
> > Noatun has been under the artistic license for quite a while (it
> > originally was under the GPL).  The artistic license is slightly
> > problematic in that it isn't GPL-compatible, making it difficult for me
> > to swipe XMMS code ;)
>
> The only license that allows you to incorporate GPL code is the GPL. That
> is pretty much the purpose of the GPL.
But linking with libnoatun is legal, if the linkee is GPL and the library 
(libnoatun) is not, there's nothing wrong with that.  Artistic isn't 
compatible with GPL at all, which won't allow this, so I must switch.  this 
new license is GPL compatible.

Also, by using Artistic (or any other non-GPL compatible license), I don't 
allow GPL plugins, whereas, with this license, I can have GPL plugins, in 
much the same way that I could if I used an LGPL library (libnoatun).

At this, I'm only going to be relicensing libnoatun, or the important part of 
noatun.  All the plugins will be staying with their current license 
(artistic, X-style, BSD, and one is public domain)

>
> Second, having yet another license is a Bad Thing (tm). In order to
> effectively reuse code between open source projects it is important that
> the various code has compatible licensing and that developers are able to
> recognize that without consulting a lawyer.
See previous paragraph.  I can safely reuse noatun code, since I'm only 
relicensing the library, and I'm relicensing it to the point where everyone 
can link with it.

>
> Within KDE we use LGPL, BSD and artistic and for non-library code the GPL
> and QPL as well. I don't see what a new license would add that isn't
> covered by any of these existing licenses already.
I'm not relicensing an entire application (per se), just the library, so that 
it has a few restrictions, while allowing all plugins to be of any license.

>
> Cheers,
> Waldo

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