- E02 - Support for MinGW Open Source Compiler

[Tony Meyer]

>> In addition, there are some unresolved licensing questions 
>> concerning the .NET runtime file for extensions (msvcr71.dll):
[...]
> msvcr71.dll is a redistributable for applications written using their 
> compiler. You can redistribute that.

If (and only if) you own a copy of the (non-free) Microsoft compiler, or are
a redistributer of another package that legitimately includes it.  This is
what the license states (the python-dev thread referenced earlier contains
links to the various license texts).

There are also other conditions, to do with what you are redistributing it
with (it can't be alone), and including a particular type of license with
your redistribution.  (It appears that Python 2.4 doesn't correctly follow
this at the moment, IIRC).

> If that answer is not good enough for you there is now a free
> version of Microsofts Visual Studio called Visual Studio Express
> (downloadable from the Microsoft's website). This 
> DLL is (to my understanding) part of Visual Studio 7.1 and 
> Visual Studio Express.

The licenses for the free compilers from Microsoft do *not* include
permission to redistribute any of the dlls, including msvcr71.dll.  So you
can get hold of it, but you cannot redistribute it.

> No licensing problem exists.

Not true.  The python-dev threads have much more detail.

> Microsoft will not get upset about msvcr71.dll being distributed.

This is possibly true.  But they do have the right to do so, and to take
legal action against people that don't follow the rules that they have laid
out.

=Tony.Meyer