[License-discuss] GPL and proprietary WebAPIs

[Chris Travers]

On Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 10:39 PM, Bruce Perens <bruce at perens.com> wrote:
> Larry,
>
> You might even be right, but at the moment there are many attorneys less
> sanguine than you on this issue, and much less emotional.
>
> The prudent consultant advises his customers on how to stay far away from
> these issues, since there is no technical reason they can't do so. The
> prudent consultant's goal is not to cast "naah-naah's" at the GPL, nor to be
> an inch over the line on the right side of the law, but so clearly in
> compliance that the prospect of litigation over a GPL violation is remote.
> Again, no technical reason prevents this.
>
How far is far enough away?  Is it far enough away to advise clients
not to mix BSD-licensed files with GPL'd code for the reasons I
mentioned above?  Everyone I have talked to agrees these licenses are
compatible but for reasons that are not compatible across answers....
Because if that is the case I had better start moving LedgerSMB to a
different license ;-).

I think that the job of a lawyer is to explain where the risks are and
where problems might be able to be expected.  It's up to the
individual to decide whether the risks are acceptable or not.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers