Re: Anyone use LGPL code?

Mick West wrote:

> I think the problem here is that LGPL is a somewhat novel form of 
> contract that has little or no legal precedence.  Has there ever been a 
> lawsuit alleging violation of GPL (let alone LGPL) that been has worked 
> through to judgement in American courts?

I don't know about american courts, but we've had a case here in Germany 
where GPL'd code (the Linux netfilter implementation, if I remember 
correctly) turned up in closed-source routers. The result was that the 
company had to publish the code linked to GPL code. Since games are 
distributed world-wide, legal problems in any country can lead to things 
like this.

That said, I think clearing license issues is in many cases a matter of 
an email or two to the copyright holder. I've had people approach me for 
written permission to use my open-source libraries. I had the 
opportunity to check that they were complying to how I meant the library 
to be used and gave them the security they wanted. YMMV, but you don't 
really risk anything by taking this route.

 >  To me using LGPL code
> feels a little like taking a dubious tax deduction - when you do it, you 
> benefit, nothing bad happens, but you sleep a little less at night, 
> thinking "what if I get audited".

If you're not complying to the licensing terms, you're on dangerous 
terrain. I imagine disgruntled employees, tell-tale library bugs and 
other similar things can cause these things to surface...

Regards,

   Uli

--

-- 

Ulrich von Zadow | Software Development Unit Head

ART+COM AG
Kleiststr. 23-26 | 10787 Berlin | Germany

phone:  +49.30.21001-464
fax:  +49.30.21001-555

ulrich.zadow <at> artcom.de
http://www.artcom.de

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