Specific Scenario: App A, API B, & Library C

[reggiehg at yahoo.com]

Can I get your comments on a specific scenario:

App A, based on API B, "aggregated" w/ Library C, also
based on API B, wherein "aggregated" means App A is
totally independent of Library C except via API B, and
it is only the end-user who explicitly references
Library C via "configuring" App A.

The issue can now redound to "which license/s is/are
applicable to whom":

a) developer - API B. App A does NOT reference Library
C, so it is NOT a "derivative work" of Library C, and
the GPL allows Library C to be "aggregated" w/ any
other software.
b) end-user - App A, API B, and Library C. By
explicitly configuring Library C into App A, the
end-user is bound by Library C's license, although
that usually doesn't matter to an end-user.

Corollarily, I'm inclined to argue that if any code in
App A directly references Library C, App A IS a
"derivative work" of Library C, and the developer is
bound by Library C's licence.

Regards,

Reggie Guevara


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com
--
license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3