Choosing the right license

[David Johnson]

On Thursday 02 November 2000 03:23 pm, Mark Hatch wrote:

> If I understand your comment about the new QPL correctly, it prohibits use
> by closed source applications and proprietary use (I thought that there was
> also some prohibition in QPL on systems that didn't support the X Window
> System  - i.e., Windows?????). So prohibition against closed source
> applications is ok and you can get an open source stamp of approval but
> prohibiting use on a closed source operating system is a no-no?
>
> I am obviously missing the point here!

There is nothing prohibiting the use of QPL software on non-X systems. What 
Trolltech did is simply not release a Windows version under the QPL. The only 
thing stopping anyone from porting the X11 version to Windows was someone 
willing to volunteer to do it.

As for the difference between restricting linkage to proprietary code or 
running on proprietary systems, it is the *usage*. Free and Open Source 
licenses may not restrict usage of the software. That means that you can't 
restrict a user based on their choice of operating system (though you don't 
have to cater to them by supporting their choice). Both the GPL and QPL 
consider dynamic linkage to be derivation of the software, and they can 
restrict that. I would disagree with this view, but that's beside the point.

-- 
David Johnson
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