[Zope] FSF about Zope and GPL'ed components

[Nils Kassube]

====== Forwarded Message ======
Date: 19.09.2000 16:57 Uhr
Received: 19.09.2000 22:58 Uhr
From: licensing@gnu.org (Free Software Foundation)
To: nika@kassube.de (Nils Kassube)

Nils Kassube wrote:

> If I use a GPL'ed component in a complex object oriented environment
> like Zope, does this mean that the whole work is now subject to the GPL? 
> 
> work = Zope-based web site/web application
> use = e.g. subclassing it or method calls, etc.

It sounds like you are building software that combines Zope and GPL'ed
software to form a single, larger program.  In this case, the whole larger
program falls under the terms of the GPL.

This is a real problem, since the license of Zope is incompatible with the
GNU GPL.  This means you can't legally distribute the system.

 
> If the GPL applies to the entire work, the resulting question is: How do I
> separate my work inside a Zope-based application from GPL'ed pieces to
> prevent this from happening?  Or do I have to rewrite the GPL part?

You cannot legally combined GPL'ed software with Zope.  You'll need to
rewrite the Zope part and release the software under a license compatible
with the Zope license, or you'll need to convince the developers of Zope to
make their license compatible with the GPL.

(In the latter case, the whole system would be covered by the GPL, so you'd
still be bound by the terms of the GPL---the only difference would be that
it'd be legally to distribute the system, since Zope wouldn't be
GPL-incompatible anymore.)
 
> Everything would be easy, if we would only be talking about programs like
> Emacs but Zope products/modules/components/whatever look more like
> libraries to me...

Regardless of whether or not a program is a library, when you combine it
with GPL'ed software to form a larger program, all of the code in the system
falls under the terms of the GPL.

-- 
Bradley M. Kuhn
Free Software Foundation     |  Phone: +1-617-542-5942
59 Temple Place, Suite 330   |  Fax:   +1-617-542-2652
Boston, MA 02111-1307  USA   |  Web:   http://www.gnu.org
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