Re: [TCLUG:10063] RedHat/Sparc mirror

["Eric M. Hopper" <hopper@omnifarious.mn.org>]

On Sat, Nov 13, 1999 at 04:53:14PM -0600, Ryan Hankins wrote:
> Here's a related question:
> 
> If I write some C code, and statically link it to a GNU GPL library
> (in this GTK+, as well as a couple others, likely), can I release
> (for free) a binary only copy of my software, without offering the
> source?

	You cannot do this.  If the library is covered by the Lesser GPL
(LGPL) you can, but you must provide it in a form in which it can be
linked against new versions of the libraries, or against any library
that supports the same interface.

> Can I sell a statically linked binary without releasing the source?

	No.  Not unless you also provide a big .o file that can be
relinked against the statically linked library.

	You can, however, release a dynamically linked version, because
enough of the linking phase is done at runtime that you could completely
replace the libraries, and it would still work.

> I know that non-GPL is bad, but I can't release the source out of
> copyright reasons.

	*nod* Consider trying to get the copyright holder to change
their minds, if that is possible.

	I think that employment contracts that automatically grant your
employer full ownership of your ideas are evil.  Corporate Feudalism at
its finest.

	As a note, I got this information by carefully reading the text
of the LGPL, and also, the notes that Cygnus provides with it's GNU Pro
Development Kit.  The license is very clear on the points I mentioned.
Of course, I'm not a lawyer, so according to law, I'm not qualified to
give an opinion on the law that has any meaning.  :-)

Have fun (if at all possible),
-- 
Its name is Public Opinion.  It is held in reverence. It settles everything.
Some think it is the voice of God.  Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet
broke a chain or freed a human soul.     ---Mark Twain
-- Eric Hopper (hopper@omnifarious.mn.org
                http://ehopper-host105.dsl.visi.com/~hopper) --

PGP signature