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Referring to the GPL as viral isn't done because of the rules about redistributing or relicensing the original work. It's called viral because derivative works
by akerl_ 12y ago
Referring to the GPL as viral isn't done because of the rules about redistributing or relicensing the original work. It's called viral because derivative works that I make which use or include the GPL'd code must also be GPL'd. It thus spreads to other projects due to proximity.
- belorn 12y agoThat is incorrect. Derivative works must respect every copyright license that is included in it, regardless of type. A project can have BSD, Apache, MIT and GPL licensed software parts, and the derivative work must respect all the licenses when distributed. You can not "make" them GPL. Trying to re-license something is like printing your own permission to enter a train. Its not only illogical, its illegal.
- akerl_ 12y agoI'm not sure what you think we're debating here. I'm not talking about changing the license on the original work. I'm talking about other works which link against or include parts of the original. If you write ReallyCoolTool and license it as GPL, and I write AwesomeGUIApp, which invokes your tool behind the scenes, the GPL requires that I license my code as GPL. By contrast, if you'd used MIT or BSD or similar, I'd be required to comply with the original license when it came to your code, but could license my code as Apache or keep it closed source or do whatever. The viral nature refers to what a project's license does to other code that somebody down the road writes that utilizes the original GPL project.
- belorn 12y ago> the GPL requires that I license my code as GPL. And that is false. I can use ReallyCoolTool GPL library, and write a AwesomeGUIApp and license my written code as Apache. Nothing prevents me from doing so. Each license a program use is a set of permissions with conditions in them. You can never choose to ignore a set of conditions, or you loose the permissions. This is why I started this whit "shows a lack of knowledge around what a copyright license is". A copyright license is, and can only be, a set of permissions to use a copyrighted work. Its not changeable, nor can it ever be removed by anyone except the author. The viral nature of copyright enforces this. It is childish to go around and calling a particular set of permissions as viral. Be grateful for having permission, and stop cry about it.