Corba interfacesand GPL freedom

[John Cowan]

Iain Barker scripsit:

> A GPL application is modified by a vendor of non-free software, who adds a
> Corba server API to the application. The vendor releases the source code to
> the GPL application and modifications per the GPL terms.

The improvements *to the program* are freely available.  The client is not,
but given the free nature of the server, it is possible to reverse engineer
a different client.

> Non-free applications could also
> be used as Corba servers to a GPL client application in the same manner.

The freedom of Mozilla is not reduced by the fact that many useful Web
sites run IIS.

-- 
John Cowan  jcowan at reutershealth.com  www.reutershealth.com  www.ccil.org/~cowan
Original line from _The Warrior's Apprentice_ by Lois McMaster Bujold:
"Only on Barrayar would pulling a loaded needler start a stampede toward one."
English-to-Russian-to-English mangling thereof: "Only on Barrayar you risk to
lose support instead of finding it when you threat with the charged weapon."
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