RE: Licensing question

[Erik Hensema <erik dot hensema at group2000 dot nl>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Mount [mailto:petermount@it.maidstone.gov.uk]
> Sent: Thursday, October 21, 1999 9:10 AM
> To: 'Erik Hensema'; 'Jim.Fairchild@IndSys.ge.com';
> cygwin@sourceware.cygnus.com
> Subject: RE: Licensing question
> 
> 
> I'm also wondering if the GPL and LGPL are being confused here. Isn't
> one of the reasons of having the LGPL, the ability to link a GPL'ed
> library/class library into a non-gpl'ed application without the final
> result being GPL'ed?
> 
> As long as you meet the LGPL license (ie: making available 
> the source to
> the library, etc, etc), would you be ok?
> 

The LGPL enables you to link an open source library to an closed source
project. Since you won't be using any LGPL code, this is not an issue at
all. There is no reason at all to release your own code under the LGPL.

The LGPL is just a completely other issue than using GPL'ed programs from a
commercial application.
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erik Hensema [mailto:erik.hensema@group2000.nl]
> Sent: 21 October 1999 07:49
> To: 'Jim.Fairchild@IndSys.ge.com'; cygwin@sourceware.cygnus.com
> Subject: RE: Licensing question
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jim.Fairchild@IndSys.ge.com 
[mailto:Jim.Fairchild@IndSys.ge.com]

> I have a question regarding the statement, "if you intend to 
> port a commercial
> (non-GPL'd) application using Cygwin, you will need the 
> commercial license to
> Cygwin that comes with the supported native Win32 GNUPro 
> product".  What
> licensing restrictions apply if you plan on using the Unix 
> utilities only, and
> will not be developing applications that use the cygwin?  The 
> Unix utilities
> would be used in a commercial application to enable the 
> customer to transition
> from a UNIX system to a Windows NT system.
> Thanks for your help.

Well, I don't think you need a commercial license. You don't link
anything
with GPL code. You don't modify any GPL code (and if you did, you could
still supply the source). Just like it's legal to sell Linux for big
bucks,
you can sell Cygwin at any cost you like. 
Generally, whats not allowed, is linking non-open-source code with GPL
code.
However, this isn't a matter of source code at all.

Now a commercial application using binaries compiled from GPL source:
that's
very common. Many, many softwarehouses develop using GCC and sell
closed-source software. Many commercial websites run Linux/Apache/MySQL.
Non
problem at all.

> 

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