Use of GPLed Python extension modules

[Patrick Maupin]

Alexander Schmolck wrote:

> Well Stallman says the above wrong, have a look at how clisp became GPL.

I think I was pretty upfront about how my opinion contradicts what
Stallman says.

My understanding is that clisp became GPL because Stallman claimed
that its use of readline forced the author to release it under the
GPL, and since the author was basically making free software anyway,
and more concerned about the software than the license, he
agreed to change the license fairly readily.

Likewise, I believe at least one other software package (the non-GPLed
version of Aladdin Ghostscript) has stopped using readline because
of Stallman's position.

As I mentioned in my earlier email, IMO the fact that nobody has gone
to court with the FSF over readline has more to do with other factors
than with the validity of the FSF's legal position on this issue.

For another viewpoint, you might want to look at these two PDFs
(which were written by the OSI's lawyer):

http://www.rosenlaw.com/html/GPL.PDF
http://www.rosenlaw.com/html/GL18.pdf


Pat