plugins vs. licensing

[Robert Dewar]

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 ...