GPL and db4o

[tov...@gmail.com]

I casually read through some licencing details for db4o, and their
explanation is all fine ... Then they discuss obligations, and the
first paragraph which i agree with in the sence that one should feel
obligated to provide the source to the entire community, and not just
people whom are recipients of the GPL'ed software (if possible).

The second paragraph, just blows IMHO.

" When you open source your application using db4o under the GPL, it
is important that you make db4o and your derivative work - in source
code - available to ALL db4o users, including the db4o Community who
provided this product free of charge. It is not sufficient to publish
your sources only to the users of your modified product. Your source
code must be available to all users in the db4o community.

As such, db4objects may ask you from time to time on behalf of the
community to show evidence of free, public access to your source code
in all its versions. As a GPL licensee, you hold the responsibility to
reply readily to this request, or any other request from a db4o
Community member or the Free Software Foundation, which acts as the
GPL enforcing agency. "

http://www.db4o.com/about/company/legalpolicies/gplfaq.aspx

Any thoughts?

Regards,

Tov Are Jacobsen

[David Kastrup]

"tov...@gmail.com" <tov...@gmail.com> writes:

It is nonsense. The gist of the GPL is "software must effectively come
with corresponding source code". Where "effectively" means either
distributing the corresponding source code right next or with the binary
(without extra cost), or the written offer etc (GPLv3 offers other
ways).

There is no obligation to "source code in all its versions", just
"corresponding versions", and there is no obligation towards anybody
except recipients of the software (though they may pass on an offer in
writing, more or less).

--
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum