For Approval: Open Project Public License (OPPL)

John Cowan cowan at ccil.org
Wed Mar 17 02:07:20 UTC 2004


Larry Masters scripsit:

> I have seen problems in other projects where someone creates an program 
> to work with another program but the source code is not released because 
> it is argued that the "new program" is not derived from the other, which 
> with my understanding of the GPL and US copyright law this could be true 
> that the "new program" is not derived.
> 
> Program X does this.
> Program Y does something else, but will work with Program X.

The trouble is that it's impossible to say where the borderline is.
A Windows version of your program "works with" Windows, and a Linux
version "works with" Linux, neither of which is under your license.
Even if we neglect the operating system, what about a program under
your license which generates output on the standard output?  If you
use a pager (such as "more" or "less"), your program is "working with"
the pager, which is under the GPL or BSD license depending on which
version it is.  And so on.

I fear you are asking more than is reasonable.

-- 
John Cowan                              <jcowan at reutershealth.com>
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