Using GPL for LibGTop with an exception for the GNOME Project

[Martin Baulig <martin home-of-linux org>]

Hello,

I've got a short question regarding GPL<->LGPL copyright issues:

Currently the copyright of LibGTop is LGPL as it was since the early
beginning and if I understand things correctly it is required to use
the LGPL for any library that is distributed together with GNOME.

However, after reading through the Gnome Mailing List Archive especially
the "why it's wrong to use the LGPL" thread I wanted to ask you what you
think about changing LibGTop's license to the GPL with a special (LGPL)
exception for the GNOME project.

This exception should make it possible to use LibGTop under the terms
of the LGPL in the GNOME Project and for any (even commercial) GNOME
application - but it should prevent commercial software writers from
using LibGTop in commercial non-GNOME applications.

What do you think about this ?

If there aren't any good reasons against this change, how should I
write that exception - I thought about a copyright notice like this:

=======================================================================
/* Copyright (C) 1998-99 Martin Baulig.
   This file is part of LibGTop 1.0.

   Contributed by Martin Baulig <martin@home-of-linux.org>, April 1998.

   LibGTop is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
   Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
   (at your option) any later version.

   As an exception to this license, it is permitted to use LibGTop
   under the terms of the GNU General Public Library License in the
   GNOME Project and for any application that links against the GNOME
   Libraries.

   LibGTop is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
   WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
   See the GNU General Public License for more details.

   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
   along with LibGTop ; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the
   Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
   Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
*/
=======================================================================

But I'm not a lawyer and I don't know whether this will work like
expected.

Comments ?

-- 
Martin Baulig - martin@home-of-linux.org - http://www.home-of-linux.org