GPL and closed source

Dale netxe456 at gmail.com
Fri Jun 3 06:04:08 UTC 2011


Hi
Can GPLv3 code access functions (with dynamic/runtime linking) of a closed
source .dll (not operating system .dll but an applications' library) which
exposes an API ? Keep in mind that the dll although closed source is free
for use

I see that this kind of question is circulating on the web and puzzles a lot
of people and I have seen many answers like :

1.if you are the copyright holder of the GPL code then you can do that

2.if you are the copyright holder of the GPL code then you can do that
provided that you add a clause to the GPL license that your code can be
linked against closed source APIs.Although I find that this mostly should
concern 3rd party developers who want to use your GPL code and link it
against closed source APIs

3.If you GPL code uses dynamic/runtime linking rather than static,then it is
ok

4.If your GPL code accesses another non-GPL but open source library and this
library calls the closed source API then your GPL code uses an intermediate
interface which acts as the communication bridge between them thus does not
access the closed source directly,which is ok.I see some people describe
that as a 'shim'

So if the GPL code cannot access the .dll directly,can it through those
libraries?
GPL code <----> non-GPL but (GPL compatible) open source library <---->
closed source. dll

It looks like that GPL is too restricive in a sense
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