Hi, Emile -- ** On 3/14/07, Ted Thibodeau Jr <tthibod...@openlinksw.com> wrote: >> (It should also be noted that a commercial enterprise of the sort >> described requires a commercial license anyway, whether using the >> VOS or proprietary distribution...)
* Emiliano Heyns [2007/03/14 07:16 AM +0100] wrote: At 09:38 AM -0400 2007/03/14, Ted Thibodeau Jr wrote: > Just curious, but why would this be so? If the application being > developed against VOS is GPL, it shouldn't matter whether the > resulting application is being used commercially, or gratis. The > GPL is "triggered" by distributing software, not usage, right? This is a common misconception. Something being under GPL does not necessarily mean there are no costs or charges associated with its deployment or use. The following comes from the GPL itself (Version 2, the only version which applies to Virtuoso) -- http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things. [...] Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. These other activities include using Virtuoso as an Application Server, Database Server, or otherwise; and such use is subject to further licensure terms. One element of those terms is that when you use Virtuoso in a commercial enterprise, you must purchase the appropriate commercial license. (Similar terms apply to many other GPLed works, including the most common GPLed DBMS, MySQL.) As the original author of Virtuoso, OpenLink Software is entitled to make use of the source code in different ways than those who start with our own distribution. One difference is that we can use the same codebase for software made under GPL and otherwise -- i.e., VOS and the proprietary distribution. There are endless nuances and details to all this, which are well beyond dry and legalistic. I hope the above clears things up somewhat? Best regards, Ted -- A: Yes. http://www.guckes.net/faq/attribution.html | Q: Are you sure? | | A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation. | | | Q: Why is top posting frowned upon? Ted Thibodeau, Jr. // voice +1-781-273-0900 x32 Evangelism & Support // mailto:tthibod...@openlinksw.com OpenLink Software, Inc. // http://www.openlinksw.com/ http://www.openlinksw.com/weblogs/uda/ OpenLink Blogs http://www.openlinksw.com/weblogs/virtuoso/ http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen/ Universal Data Access and Virtual Database Technology Providers
