Re: [gtk-list] Re: The Ten-Line Weakness of the LGPL and the effects onGTK+/GLib

[Ben Gertzfield <che debian org>]

>>>>> "Erik" == Erik Mouw <J.A.K.Mouw@its.tudelft.nl> writes:

    Erik> In my opinion "general topics about GTK+" includes the
    Erik> licensing terms.  Please continue the discussion over here.

Well, since a few folks are interested, here is the reply I got
from posting to gnu.misc.discuss:

-- 8< cut here 8< --

From: Alan Braggins <armb@ncipher.com>
Subject: Re: The LGPL and 'ten lines' of header files
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Date: 09 Jul 1999 13:48:04 +0100
Organization: nCipher Corporation

The licence says that if the object file is legally a derived work,
and the the only reason it is derived is because of macro or inline
functions less than ten lines, then the derived work is exempt.

If the object file _isn't_ legally a derived work, then the length
limits are irrelevent - the licence only applies to the original and
derived works.

Whether your object file is a derived work is, ultimately, for a court
to decide if your lawyers and the library copyright holder's lawyers
disagree on the matter.

[snip]

-- 8< cut here 8< --

If this interpretation is correct (and I'm assuming it is) then until
the LGPL is tried in court nobody will know what a 'derived work'
really is.

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