Messages in this thread | | | From | "David Schwartz" <> | Subject | RE: GPL and NON GPL version modules | Date | Tue, 16 May 2006 12:54:03 -0700 |
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> Unless the "someone else will release a GPL wrapper to my proprietary > module" accident is planned from the start. > > Xav
There certainly does seem to be some reason for suspicion.
I would say that this doesn't matter so long as the two works are separate. That is, two people could plan this from the start, act in concert, and still be okay. However, they would have to make sure that nothing about the GPL wrapper contaminates the proprietary module. That is, the proprietary module must not in any way be designed to accomondate the GPL wrapper, except perhaps in the form of generic accomodation for any wrapper.
If the proprietary module contains any code that is designed specifically to accomodate the GPL wrapper, the line is crossed. Whether or not that consitutes a legal violation, however, is a complicated question.
So long as the proprietary module was not designed to work with GPL'd code (more than it's generically designed to work with other code of the same type) and contains no GPL'd code, you should be okay. However, as soon as any of the design of the proprietary code is intended to facilitate interoperation with specific GPL'd code, you could start to get into trouble.
You should definitely consult a lawyer, but prepared for the answer, "nobody really knows". They can chart out what is almost definitely safe and what is almost definitely illegal, but there is a huge space in-between.
DS
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