Re: [OT] Licence question

[Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>]

On Mon, 2003-04-28 at 11:43, Biswapesh Chattopadhyay wrote:
> Hi
> 
> Sorry for the cross-post - I'm not sure which list can give me the right
> answer.
> 
> I have a licence question: can I read the source code of a GPL-ed
> library to get implementation ideas while developing a competing LGPL-ed
> library (without actually using the source code, of course) ?
> 
> Specifically, there is a QT scintilla wrapper
> (http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/qscintilla/index.php) and I'm
> planning to write a similar high level OO GTK+ wrapper around Scintilla
> for anjuta/anjuta2 (or extending the current GtkScintilla2 wrapper if
> that fits in).

Scintilla is GPL. I think anything linked against a GPL product is
generally deemed to be a "work based on the program" and must be GPL as
well, not LGPL.

That's why the LGPL exists; so proprietary programs can link against
that library, whereas they would have to be GPL to link against a GPL
library.

I am not a lawyer, though.

-- 
Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>

"A freudian slip is when you say one thing but you mean your mother." -- unknown