Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Re: proposed initial DTD for LADSPA-gui-xml .. licensing issues ...
From: Greg Turpin (gregturp_AT_home.com)
Date: Sun Nov 26 2000 - 22:32:19 EET
Okay fellas, just relax and calm down.
I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding about the LGPL in
your discussion. It's a very important misunderstanding that
everyone should be aware of (especially since LADSPA should
be considering licenses.)
The LGPL says that the libraries can be used by a closed source
program, but, any changes to the libraries must be released
under the LGPL.
So, a company (say, the makers of Cakewalk or Pro-Audio)
could take these libraries, throw a GUI on the front that interacts
with the libraries (or another control mechanism, you get the
idea) and as long as they don't touch the libraries they don't
have to release an ounce of source code.
But, what then have they done? Most of us on this list can write
GUIs that are appealing, attractive, and more importantly - functional.
If they add just one line of code, according to the license, they
must release that code under the LGPL - so, we can all see it
and use it to our heart's content.
The only problem that I see with the LGPL is the mechanism
that many different companies are getting around the GPL these
days - modularization. A malicious company could take these
LGPL libraries and use them without modification, but, anytime
the functionality is not there they pull from a completely different
library that they own and do not have to release.
I think this is the ultimate concern about the LGPL. We could, in
effect (no pun intended) give audio companies a huge break by
writing most of the code for them.
But then, that may be the benefit about the LGPL. I'm willing to
assume that most major Win/Mac companies know very little
about the *nix world. They could jump into the market a lot
faster if we wrote the code for them. Thus, promoting open
source solutions and more competition (hopefully the healthy kind).
Okay, so now I've solved nothing. Heh.
What does the list think? LGPL or GPL?
Thanks for listening,
Greg Turpin
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