[gtkada] License question

[Jeff Creem]

Damien Carbonne wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a question about license related to GtkAda.
> If this is not the right list to ask this question, does any of you know 
> to which list I could ask it ?
>
> The problem is:
>
> Last year I developed an Ada binding for Cairo (CairoAda) for which I 
> used GMGPL license (it only depends on Cairo).
> See : http://damien.carbonne.free.fr/download/
>
> I also developed two small bindings, one for Gdk.Cairo and one for RSVG.
> I used GPL license for those two bindings because they depend on GtkAda 
> of which I have only a GPL version.
> Am I allowed to release them under two licenses (GPL + GMGPL), so that 
> people can use the license that fits their GtkAda license ?
> - On one side people that use the GPL version of GtkAda would use the 
> GPL versions of Gdk.Cairo and RSVG.
> - On the other side people that use the GMGPL version of GtkAda (AdaCore 
> customers ?) could use the GMGPL versions of those two bindings.
>
> Or can I simply release those two small bindings under GMGPL, with a 
> special notice for people that use GPL version of GtkAda ?
>
> Thanks for help.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Damien Carbonne
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> gtkada mailing list
> gtkada at lists.adacore.com
> http://lists.adacore.com/mailman/listinfo/gtkada
>
>   
The best answer you will get is that you should ask a lawyer but it is 
really not practical for single developers to do that and so no matter 
what you do as a free software developer (or as a  human for that 
matter) you are always at risk of some sort of legal action no matter 
how hard you try.

Having said that, as long as you don't distribute any binaries based on 
pure gpl and don't attempt to distribute GtkAda and claim the exception 
applies I would guess you are ok (meaning, I would do something like 
this myself -- not meaning there is no risk).

Realize of course that in providing these libraries as GMGPL, the only 
people that can exercise the exception clause of the GMGPL for your 
bindings are customers of AdaCore or people that have older pre GPL 
minus exception clause versions of GtkAda (Of course we all know that 
never existed according to many).

For something potentially this coupled to GtkAda, you may want to go 
pure GPL for a few reasons

1) You can feel better about being less worried about some sort of 
license confusion scare with the copyright holder.
2) It promotes 'free' software.
3) Releasing as GMGPL only helps AdaCore customers (since only they can 
really exercise the right). By releasing bindings as pure GPL that 
AdaCore may want/need to release a similar products  of in the future 
you get to create some FUD and confusion about the license and copyright 
ownership of any of these similar bindings. That seems like a good thing.