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Re: Fwd: reiser4 non-free?



On Sun, 2004-04-25 at 05:32, Domenico Andreoli wrote:
> > Also, a clustering file system built to work on top of this file
> > system shall be considered a derivative work for the purposes of
> > interpreting the GPL license granted herein.  Plugins are also to be
> > considered derivative works.  Share code or pay money, we give you the
> > choice.
> 
> Surely a license cannot add anything to the set of derived works (if
> the other work is not derived, the license obviously doesn't apply to
> it and hence never gets to say it is derived; if it is, it is even
> without the license saying so). However I believe -legal has not
> considered text like this a problem before (I might be wrong though).

It doesn't "add", it clarifies. i.e. if you build a clustered file
system that does stuff specific to reiserfs (e.g. use the reiser4
syscall), then that will be considered a derived work, and must be
distributable under the GPL.

Sure, you could go to court and argue that it isn't - but namesys have a
clear clarification of what they consider, so I hope your lawyer is good
:)

Think of it in the same light as the clarification in the kernel's copy
of the GPL saying that userspace programs aren't derived. except here
it's the other way around.
-- 
Stewart Smith (stewart@flamingspork.com)
http://www.flamingspork.com/

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