[sldev] Fwd: [Opensim-dev] Violating the GPL by looking (Re: Voice Module)

[Argent Stonecutter]

On 2008-03-19, at 12:39, Jason Giglio wrote:
> It doesn't "infect" the BSD parts of the code though, you can  
> always remove the GPL licensed parts and treat it as BSD once again.

It's not that simple. You're assuming that the BSDL code and the GPL  
code are in easily separated components, such as separate files with  
well defined APIs controlling dependancies between them. Removing the  
"X" licensed code from a "Y" licensed program can be quite  
complicated and time consuming if the code has been evolving for a  
while.

Consider the USL-CSRG lawsuit for an example of how complex things  
can become.

Net-2 was supposedly the AT&T-free portion of 4.3 BSD.
AT&T sued over the *structure* of the code.
CSRG countersued on the grounds that AT&T was illegally using BSD  
code (via a contract that was an early version of what became the BSD  
license).

After the settlement, two of the three BSD spinoff projects decided  
that even with the settlement AND with Novell saying they weren't  
interested in suing they couldn't risk using any of their existing  
kernel code and tossed it out to start over with 4.4-Lite.