[sdiy] programmable synth module

[Tom Arnold]

On Sat, Feb 11, 2006 at 03:05:32PM -0800, David Brown wrote:
> Can you explain this a bit more for us who are not familiar? - Dave
> 
> At 02:46 PM 2/11/2006, Tom Arnold wrote:
> >Oh, and if someone does cook up a solution, make sure its compatible with
> >licenses other then GPL, or at least make sure you really understand the 
> >GPL
> >before trying to use it...

IANAL, however...

The purpose behind the GPL is to make certain that at no point can someone
restrict access to code that someone else wrote and released under the GPL.

If I write a program, and you use it unmodified in your product, you just
have to say you do and provide the source code to it.  *NOT* to the entire
product.

Where it gets fuzzy for me is if you modify the code, some people say that
you have to provide your modified code, some people say you dont.  In any
case you still have to provide the original GPLd code.

Now, if you write a GPL'd driver layer, and I use it in my non-GPL'd product
which is an entire program that only speaks to the driver layer via its API,
I *do not* have to GPL my code.  You also cannot force me to GPL my code,
its mine, I'm using the API to speak to your GPL code ( which I have to
credit and supply source for ).

The GPL can be interpretted to be viral.  In that paragraph above where I say 
things get Fuzzy for me, I know this has been fought both directions.

When I release code I release it under the BSD license.  Basically "Its my
code, you can use it, modify it, whatever, just make sure you give credit
for using my code".  Thats it.  If someone just takes a program I wrote,
compiles it, and shrinkwraps the box, thats alright with me as long as I'm
credited.  For an example of this, dig through Windows licenses, I think its
still in XP.  You'll find a chunk of BSD license in there crediting some
code to UC Berkeley.

This is sorta a religious thing in the Linux vs BSD camps of course.
Usually it doesnt bother me but when someone so completely misunderstands
the GPL as to make a statement on their website that anything you write for
their product will be GPL whether you want it to or not, that torques me a
little.

-- 
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 - Tom Arnold       -  Free Synth DIY webspace http://www.sdiy.org 
 - SynthGeek        -
 - BBD Fanatic      -  "...is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?" 
 - echo evho wjxo   -    Juanita Shrugs. "What's the difference?" 
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