Re: About GPL and proprietary software

Ron Johnson wrote:

>On Tue, 2003-09-02 at 08:52, Jonathan Bartlett wrote:
>
>
>>I think the main issue in dynamic linking is whether or not you used the
>>GPL headers.  If you did, then you are in fact combining your work with a
>>GPL work.  If you did not, then how is one to know _which_ library you are
>>linking against.   It could be the GPL library, but it could also be any
>>other library which exports the same symbols.  If I link to Motif, I am
>>not obliging myself to the GPL just because Lesstif exists.
>>
>>
>
>Exactly.  If you use GPL headers, then you are tying (i.e. "linking"
>in the grammatical sense) yourself to that GPL software, and *that*
>would mean that you must GPL your own software.
>
>

Would that mean that any software compiled with GCC that uses standard
headers and released commercially is now under the GPL ?

Hence BSD and other free licences ?

There is a huge body of code that this applies to that is not deemed
covered by the GPL today and they're going to be awfully upset if you're
right.

G