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Re: plugins vs. licensing
- From: Robert Dewar <dewar at adacore dot com>
- To: Joern Rennecke <joernr at arc dot com>
- Cc: gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org
- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:04:42 -0400
- Subject: Re: plugins vs. licensing
- References: <20080929135426.GB16357@elsdt-razorfish.arc.com>
Joern Rennecke wrote:
Couldn't the plugin interface require a copyrighted passphrase to be
sent by the plugin when it registeres, and the passphrase can then
be licensed under the GPL. Thus, plugins that want to interface with
an official FSF gcc will have to be GPLed in order to talk to the
plugin interface, and we don't need to tinker with the runtime licensing.
I must say that I am confused by this whole issue, it is clear to me
that gcc and a plugin are part of an integrated program and not a mere
aggregation, so I have no idea why a proprietary plugin would be
allowed. If you write a program which can ONLY function as an extension
of another program, it is clearly a deriviative work of that other
program I would say. Oh well off topic for this list ...