[Zope] FSF about Zope and GPL'ed components

[Andrew Kenneth Milton]

+-------[ jpenny@universal-fasteners.com ]----------------------
| Let me ask a more precise question.
| 
| Zope is not released under GPL.
| 
| Joe repleases a component which can be used with Zope under GPL license.
| Zope.org makes it available for download, but in no way incorporates
| it into their base system.  (I.e., it is available for integration
| by an end user).

No with an if, yes with a but..

------------------------------------------------------------------------
This General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into
proprietary programs.  If your program is a subroutine library, you may
consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the
library.  If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Library General
Public License instead of this License.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If Zope is considered proprietary, the answer is no.

The GPL is supposed to stop Zope/DC from taking your product and distributing
it with Zope. It is also designed to force people who write applications
to release under GPL. The fundamental flaw with this clause is that it 
assumes that the GPLd code existed first.

It does not take into consideration that you might want to extend a 
proprietary program using GPL code.

This also holds for things like GPL drivers for Solaris e.g.

Sun have recently found a weakness in the GPL and are exploiting it,
so perhaps all is not lost for GPL stuff for Zope.

http://www.linuxgram.com/newsitem.phtml?sid=108&aid=10785


There is another option..

That is to treat Zope like an operating system, and to treat products as
applications under that Operating System. (whether FSF will see it that 
way is another thing).

However, all subsequent products, that call your product must be GPL.
You write a tag, and its GPL, anyone that uses your tag has to release
as GPL.

You can not infinitely abstract the metaphor.

If you want other people to be able to use your code, but still want to
retain your GPL, then use LGPL, which protects your code and derivations,
but, does not infringe on other people's license choice.

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