Subj : Re: GNU Public Licenses
To   : comp.programming
From : Arthur J. O'Dwyer
Date : Tue Aug 23 2005 12:22 pm


On Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Rob Thorpe wrote:
> Matthias Kaeppler wrote:
>>
>> say I want to use software in my project which is licensed under the GNU
>> LGPL. Does that affect the licensing of my own program? Can I still
>> release it under the less strict GNU GPL?
>
> The GPL is technically more strict than the LGPL.  The GPL does not
> allow any proprietry modifications of the code.

   Sure it does --- otherwise it wouldn't allow "freedom" in the Stallman 
sense. You can do anything you want with the GPL'd code on your own 
machine, or even (I think) on any private network like a corporate LAN,
and you don't have to share it with anybody. The only thing you can't do 
is *distribute* modified GPL code to the innocent user without also 
applying the GPL to the modified code (so the user can *also* do anything 
he wants with it).
   I bet we simply disagree on the precise meaning of "proprietary," but I 
don't want the OP to get confused.

> You can certainly include LGPL code in a GPLed application.

   Absolutely. Otherwise, what would be the point of LGPL? :)

-Arthur

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