gEDA-dev: About GPL/LGPL and gEDA's symbols/fonts/schematics

[pt75234 at aim.com]

Hi,

Thank you all so much for your quick and valuable responses. I am sorry 
that I brought up something already been discussed before. I did try to 
search through the geda-dev maillist archives later than May 2003, I 
should have searched the lists thoroughly.  Your responses answer lots 
of questions I had,  and I truely appreciate it.  I can say that the 
gEDA (at least the gschem part, I have not looked into the PCB) is well 
architected thanks to all of your dedicated efforts.

Thanks again.

Best Regards,
Paul Tan


-----Original Message-----
From: dj at delorie.com
To: geda-dev at moria.seul.org
Sent: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 5:11 AM
Subject: Re: gEDA-dev: About GPL/LGPL and gEDA's 
symbols/fonts/schematics

> If you distribute the schematic file it doesn't need to be under the
> GPL. However, I'm not sure if the same is true when you _load_
> it. The GPL

The GPL doesn't restrict use at all.  What you can't do is
*distribute* a combination of GPL and non-GPL works that are intended
to only be used together.  You can if they're "mere aggregates".  IMHO
this means if you distribute geda symbols as geda symbols, such that
anyone can use them with geda programs, any schematic can use them,
because that's the intended purpose of geda symbols, and they're not
"part of" your schematic (as long as you don't embed them).  If,
however, you embed a GPL'd symbol into a non-GPL'd schematic (or
visa-versa), you can no longer distribute that schematic under any
terms.  But you can still use it locally.


_______________________________________________
geda-dev mailing list
geda-dev at moria.seul.org
http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-dev

________________________________________________________________________
Check Out the new free AIM(R) Mail -- 2 GB of storage and 
industry-leading spam and email virus protection.