[Linuxsampler-devel] [linux-audio-user] nice piano

[Rob]

On Friday 15 December 2006 13:22, Lars Luthman wrote:
> I don't mean that they are violating any license themselves,
> they are of course allowed to do whatever they want with the
> code that they wrote. I mean that the current license (GPL +
> inconsistent add-on) can be interpreted as saying that no one
> is allowed to distribute LinuxSampler at all except the people
> that already have that right without any licensing (the
> authors).

I could be wrong, but I don't think you're even allowed to use 
the GPL on your software if you modify its terms, except to add 
an exception to make it more lenient....  Don't forget, the GPL 
itself (specifically, the preamble to the GPL) is a copyrighted 
work, owned by the FSF, and they have to approve its use in 
derivative but incompatible licenses.  At least that's my 
non-legally-educated reading of their FAQ.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#ModifyGPL
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs 
(about exceptions)

But that wouldn't be a GPL violation, that would be a violation 
of the copyright on the GPL itself.  So it wouldn't matter if 
they wrote every line of the code themselves.  But I also assume 
someone already talked with the FSF about this when it first 
happened.

In the end, the project needs a well-maintained fork just to end 
the controversy.  See also: WineX/Rewind/Cedega vs. Wine.  Wine 
went LGPL, the WineX guys forked the last BSDish licensed 
version to use in their proprietary software, saying "Hey guys, 
contribute code to us and we promise we'll share our stuff 
back... eventually.... after enough of you buy it..." but 
everyone flocked to the LGPLed version instead.  The fact that a 
LS fork hasn't happened yet makes me think not enough people 
care about it to do so.

Rob