[sword-devel] sword license questions

Chris Little sword-devel@crosswire.org
Mon, 1 Apr 2002 15:22:53 -0800


> My Look up app for OS X certainly isn't ready for public consumption. 
> Part of that is getting the right license information and stuff 
> bundled with the program.
> 
> If I understand correctly, GPL allows me to do what I want with the 
> client I'm writing - I can Copyright it to myself, keep my source to 
> myself, and even commercialize it. But if I modify the API, I need to 
> submit those changes back. Or am I thinking LGPL or something? I'd 
> like to get this cleared up, not that I necessarily intend to 
> commercialize my client or anything :-).

You're thinking of LGPL.

Since Sword is GPL, works that use it must also be GPL-compatible.  See
a list of acceptable licenses here:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html#GPLCompatibleLicenses.

You own the copyright to any creative work you have produced, according
to the laws of most countries.

If you distribute a program that links to the Sword library, you must
also make the source code available, according to the GPL.

You may sell your work, but you must still make the source code
available for free.

--Chris