[sldev] Re: Plugin Licensing (was: Why Linden Labs needs to let the community extend the client without asking for their IP)

[Mike Dickson]

Well, yes except at some point the "platform" isn't generic.  I
mis-understood your original comment.  You're assuming a generic
scripting plugin in Python.  But then how much use is that really. Why
not just run the python interpreter  directly.

The point is at some point you'll want to call some SL specific code.
You could write a GPL'd piece that exports a protocol, run that over a
socket to your Pythin code and then.. well that's probably ok.  Hence my
comment that it depends on what you consider a plugin.

There are lots of GPL'd PHP libraries.  If I use those in a PHP app I
need to observe the GPL restrictions.  If API's get exposed to your
python interpreter that are SL specific and you call those directly then
I'd assert you need to observe the GPL license provisions.  Python buys
you zero isolation in that case.

So again it depends on what a plugin is. IMO attempts to avoid the GPL
are somewhat silly in the context of the current client.  It's GPL. If
you want to extend this client then live within the license the code is
provided in.  If that's not acceptable then perhaps an investment in an
alterternate client with different licensing is appropriate (like libSL
for instance).  As others said. IMO the real enabler is the protocol.
At the point we get a standardized protocol you'll see more extensive
innovation in the commercial space.  

Mike

On Sun, 2007-04-08 at 15:01 -0400, Jason Giglio wrote:
> Mike Dickson wrote:
> > Not sure that I'd make the assumption that Python somehow absolves me of
> > the GPL.  I suppose it depends on how the plugin interface works. But
> > thats fairly language agnostic anyway.
> 
> Of course it would.
> 
> If I write a program in PHP, I don't have to worry about licensing my 
> program to be compatible with the PHP license, or the Apache License. 
> The Apache license isn't GPL compatible, and yet there are plenty of 
> GPLed PHP scripts!
> 
> Apache-PHP-script
> 
> SL-interpreter plugin-plugin script
> 
> SL and interpreter plugin become merely the platform that the plugins 
> are running on, just as Apache and PHP might be your platform that your 
> PHP scripts run on.
> 
> -Jason
> 
>