Re: GPLv2 licensing issues

[Richard Frith-Macdonald]

On 12 Apr 2008, at 01:10, Gregory John Casamento wrote:

> Here is the email I sent...
> ----
>
> Brett,
>
> We're having some issues after the move to LGPLv3.  Specifically  
> there are some applications which are GPLv2 only.
>
> Wouldit be possible to get an exception for GNUstep which would  
> allow this. Alternatively, would it be possible for GNUstep to be  
> considered a"System Library" so that the exception for that  
> applies.    I amstarting to wonder to myself if we didn't move too  
> hastily when movingGNUstep to GPL v3 of the license.
>
> Currently this is being discussed at length on the GNUstep- 
> discusslist which is hosted by the FSF.   Please make any comments  
> you feelrelevant there if you can.
>
> I would like to discuss exceptionsthat we can consider or any other  
> possible solutions.   My cell phoneis (240)274-9630 and my home  
> phone is (301)362-9640.
>
> We might consider the following, if possible:
> /* As a special exception, if you link this library with files  
> compiled with
>   GCC to produce an executable, this does not cause the resulting  
> executable
>   to be covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception  
> does not
>   however invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might  
> be
>   covered by the GNU General Public License.  */

That doesn't really look like a good exception for us.  After all, if  
we want to give that sort of exception, why are we using LGL 3 at all?

Presumably we *want* to include the new clauses designed for DRM  
freedom.  That rather seemed to be a major point of moving to LGPL3.

There should be some sort of cost-benefit analysis of the various  
options...

For instance, if we just stick to the LGPL3 then a few apps will be  
unable to be distributed with new versions of the GNUstep  
libraries ... but how many apps are we talking about, and how big an  
issue is if if that happens?

If those few apps are actually critical to us, why not have an  
exception for just those specific apps? (maybe only for a limited  
length of time to allow them to move beyond GPL2, or maybe an  
indefinite length of time if we think they can never move forward).