Re: [PHP4BETA] License concerns

From: Zeev Suraski <zeev@zend.com> > What you're saying is that you may not use GPL'd software in conjunction > with non GPL software, from a user's standpoint. That's completely > absurd in my opinion. Fixing your license language to be OSD-compliant is a much simpler issue than GPL-compatibility, and thus I hope you deal with fixing the license language first. Regarding GPL compatibility, were I in this position, I'd simply link to the (superior, IMO) Sleepycat Software version of BSD DB and avoid the issue with GDBM. You can clearly link GPL-ed code to code bearing a license no more restrictive than the GPL. In the case of other licenses, you _might_ be able to get away (legally) with dynamic-linking GPL-ed software to non-GPL-ed software, because of the system facilities exception to the GPL. Read it, it applies to things that are _distributed_ with the OS and compiler, not only to systems code. Also you may be able to get away with it sometimes because copyright law hasn't caught up with the concept of a derived work as it is applied to software, and because nobody bothers to prosecute this stuff. However, linking GPL-ed software with code having a more restrictive license is clearly going against the intent of the author who placed the GPL on his work. FSF has stated that whether you link static or dynamic doesn't matter to _them_. You should respect their intent as you would have them respect yours. There are probably unenforcable elements in _your_ license too, and what really protects you from people mis-using your license is public relations pressure, not the threat of a lawsuit. Thanks Bruce