LGPL is Viral for Java 717
carlfish writes "According to this post to POI-dev, Dave Turner (Mr License) of the FSF has decreed that the steps required to use an LGPL'd Java library will actually infect client code with substantial GNU-ness via Section 6 of the LGPL. (The "Lesser" GPL is supposed to protect only the Library, without infecting code using the library) This, as you might imagine, puts a few LGPL Java projects that previously thought they were embeddable without being viral in a bit of a bind. Various weblogs have further coverage." Update: 07/18 02:44 GMT by CN : The FSF's Executive Director, Brad Kuhn adds "LGPL's S. 6 allows you to make new works that link with the LGPL'ed code, and license them any way you see fit. Only the LGPL'ed code itself must remain Free. Such 'client code' can even be proprietary; it need not be LGPL'ed."
GPL model (Score:3, Funny)
Just ask SCO!
"If it is not OUR's then it must be Viral"
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:How about not using the word `viral'? (Score:1, Funny)
Nasty habit, really.
Re:The GPL is like a Vaccine (Score:5, Funny)
Viral... (Score:2, Funny)
The LGPL and End to Sexism (Score:1, Funny)
In regard to open source software, I've been feeling the same way over the past decade, watching the men sponsored by the GPL get all the coverage. It's great to at long last see the LGPL get some attention too. I'm sure it won't be too long before the Ladies of the GPL start receiving the attention that has been denied for too long.
Solution.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yes, that David Turner (Score:3, Funny)
It's almost scary how non-obvious that is.
ouch... my head is spinning (Score:2, Funny)
"Here, just take the god damn code. If it breaks I don't care!"
Re:Yes, that David Turner (Score:3, Funny)
Google used some GPL code right behind the button "I am feeling lucky". So the button, using the GPL code, is infexted and behave accordingly. It's a perfect illustration that the viral nature of GPL is not bad - it's rather very useful.
we gotta break FSF (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yes, that David Turner (Score:3, Funny)
The LGPL isn't the GPL. If you want the GPL, you know where to find it.