21 Jun
2010
21 Jun
'10
10:31 p.m.
On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:12 PM, Victor Lazzarini
<Victor.Lazzarini(a)nuim.ie> wrote:
The plugin is just a Free software plugin, that is
GPL, distributed in
binary form and source code etc. It is written as a plugin, so it can be
used by any host of the same API. The host will load this plugin instead of
the proprietary non-free plugin that it replaces. The plugin is made
available separately, but is also bundled with the host, which loads it
automatically.
I would be uneasy about that last bit -- the fact that the host treats
this plugin differently from others. I think we're deep within a
genuine grey area here (an area that is both completely untested and
in which people's opinions differ) but I could well imagine an
argument being made on the basis of the interdependence of plugin and
host.
My reasons for asking this are that I was asked to
write such a plugin and
i) I don't normally do proprietary software; ii) I don't like to reinvent
the wheel. If I can't provide a free solution, I may as well not take the
job.
If I were in this position, I think I would not feel comfortable
providing a GPL plugin.
That's probably about all I can say though, and one person's
ill-supported opinion probably isn't of much use.
Chris