On Wed, Sep 20, 2000 at 08:27:47PM +0200, Erik Enge wrote:
[jpenny@universal-fasteners.com]
| Can she distribute Zope, Joe's product, and her own product, as long | as they are packaged separately?
What is defined as "package separately". Different .rpms/.tgz, different CDs, or what?
I Don't care what the requirements are, just want to know the limitations. That is, if they are delivered only on separate CDROMs (or diskettes) or other physical media is that enough? If they are delivered only electronically in some bundling scheme, (tgz, rpm, deb, zip, etc.) is that enough? That is, my reading of the GPL says that Joan may use Joe's product as she pleases, as long as she does not redistribute a product which contains Joe's product. Certainly, she may distribute her work under the license of her choice if she does not distribute Joe's product (at all). I can see no reason that she cannot point her user to Joe's product and give directions on how to install it. (I cannot even see a prohibition on automating the retrieval and installation of Joe's product, as long as Joan does not distribute it!) This was meant to probe the limits of what Joan can do. I think it is agreed that distributing Zope + Joe's Product preloaded as a unitary package is not consistent with the GPL. Distributing Zope + Joe's GPL Product + Joan's Evil Proprietary License Product preloaded as a unitary product is even more contrary to the GPL. But, I want to know if FSF agrees that under the GPL Joan can distribute a copy of Zope, a copy of Joe's Product (plugin), and whatever else Joan wishes to distribute under the license of her choice, as long as Joan does not perform the actual integration? (And can Joan write an installer?)