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List:       kmail-devel
Subject:    Re: Domino 5.x support in KMail
From:       Jason Stephenson <panda () mis ! net>
Date:       2001-09-29 15:45:36
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On Saturday 29 September 2001 04:11 am, Michael Häckel wrote:

> If this API is not under an open source license, what is the case, reading
> the licence,
>
> <quote>
> You may not 1) use, copy, modify, or distribute the Program except as
> provided in this Agreement; 2) reverse assemble, reverse compile, or
> otherwise translate the Program except as specifically permitted by law
> without the possibility of contractual waiver; or 3) sublicense, rent, or
> lease the Program.
> </quote>
>
> then you are anyway not allowed to link any GPL application like KMail
> against it unless all copyright holders explicitely state, that they agree.

Well, that's not entirely true. You can link it with GPL code, even hack a 
local copy of KMail up and include the Domino API calls in it. As long as the 
code never leaves your machine, you're fine. You are not required to 
distribute all changes that you make to GPL code, only that if you do, then 
everything has to be under the GPL. You can hack GPL code and mix and match 
it with whatever source code and libraries are at your disposal so long as 
you keep the changes to yourself.

Since the Domino stuff has this license, I don't see how it could be included 
in KMail for distribution. It will have to be done as a plug-in. 
Additionally, the Lotus Development Division of IBM may have to grant 
permission for you to distribute it.

It's all pretty murky, 'cause no one really knows the legal status of 
dynamically linked code versus statically linked. I don't think most lawyers 
or judges even know there is a difference from a technical viewpoint.
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