[geeklog-devel] GPLv3

[Joe Mucchiello]

At 11:31 AM 6/30/2007, Dirk Haun wrote:
>Joe Mucchiello wrote:
>
> >Of course, the real problem area is the javascript parts of Geeklog.
> >Once a user agent downloads the javascript, the website has partially
> >distributed a GPL'd program to someone and that person now has the
> >right to ask for all the GPL'd source code that is part of that
> >distribution. That includes any customizations made by the website admin.
>
>I very much doubt that interpretation. If that were the case, it would
>pretty much close the loophole Christian mentioned.
>
>JavaScript, by its very nature, has to run on the client's side
>(ignoring things like JSP for the moment). I don't think this technical
>necessity counts as "distribution".

Distribution is a pretty simple concept. The GPL doesn't allow you to 
have some partial distributions that don't count. This can also be 
gotten around though. You could not license your javascript as GPL. 
That would eliminate the problem completely. Use the LGPL or BSD. The 
code in the javascript does not actually interact with the code on 
the server. It interacts with the output of code on the server. Even 
if it makes web20/soap/whatever calls, that is done through an 
extremely well defined API.

But, as it stands now, Geeklog sends a file to the user agent that 
states it is part of Geeklog and that it is licensed under the GPL. 
That is distribution. I don't see how it could be considered otherwise.

---------------
This is the header in common.js (and yes, it says Geeklog 1.3 in the 
1.4.1 distribution and the nightly CVS tar):

/* Reminder: always indent with 4 spaces (no tabs). */
// 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Geeklog 
1.3                                                               |
// 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Commmon javascript 
functions                                              |
// 
|                                                                           |
// 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Copyright (C) 2005,2006 by the following 
authors:                         |
// 
|                                                                           |
// |            Blaine Lang - 
blaine at portalparts.com                           |
// 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
// 
|                                                                           |
// | This program is free software; you can redistribute it 
and/or             |
// | modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public 
License               |
// | as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 
2            |
// | of the License, or (at your option) any later 
version.                    |



----
Joe Mucchiello
Throwing Dice Games
http://www.throwingdice.com