On Sun, Aug 06, 2006 at 10:46:16AM +0100, Chris Kuklewicz wrote:
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The GPL only gets in the way if you put it there by choosing to derive work from GPL code. Note that most commercial programs do not allow you the choice of deriving your work from theirs at all. The GPL adds to your free-as-in-freedom: you can derive work from others' GPL work and you can
GPL also brings about restrictions to freedom-in-speech that are rarely mentioned: Say you develop the code for a client to run her production facilities. This code contains sensitive information about the way the facilities work and must not fall into the hands of the client's competitors. But if GPL is stuck to any part of the code and manages to infect the rest, the client can make you sign as many NDAs as there can be. The GPL still entitles you to sell it. I'm sure there are other scenarios in which the restritions that GPL places on the developer are equally prohibitive. GPL/LGPL is interesting, LGPL v3 may turn into something cool or not. (I heard they have problems sorting out the above scenario, too, or something more tricky, I forgot.) But placing restrictions on how the code may be used has lead to surprising problems. BSD on the other hand is a safe bet. cheers, matthias