response to maney... [LWN.net]

response to maney...

Posted Jun 15, 2006 15:25 UTC (Thu) by kornak (guest, #17589)
In reply to: HOWTO: Pick an open source license (part 1) (ZDNet) by maney
Parent article: HOWTO: Pick an open source license (part 1) (ZDNet)

"Nope, that part's exactly right - the insane greatness of the GPL is that it imposes some restrictions..."

Strange, I thought I could use GPL code in anything I wanted without
restriction. How am I restricted? I understand that if I use the code
in a commercial product I am rewuired to share the code, but, do you
comsider this restrictive somehow? It seems to me that perpetuates the
freedom rather than restricting it.

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response to maney...

Posted Jun 15, 2006 17:09 UTC (Thu) by markhb (guest, #1003) [Link]

What's restricted is your ability as a software author to use the GPL'd code in a program or linked suite of programs that are distributed under a license that isn't the GPL or very similar to the GPL. Contrast with a paid license for a proprietary development library that allows you to distribute the library with your product in compiled binary form under any terms you wish, but that restricts you from distributing the source code (or at least the source code and headers for the proprietary library).