From: "H. Simpson" <nospam@...>
Date: 2004-08-06T09:41:26+09:00
Subject: Re: Amazing GUI toolkit with visual designer & Ruby Integration

David Ross wrote:

>>The terms of the LGPL does not allow software that
>>are derivatives of 
>>LGPL libraries to prohibit reverse engineering.
>>
> 
> 
> One of the main reasons I don't use GPL/LGPL toolkits
> anymore. I like my anti-debugging/disassembler code in
> my applications. People are 1) blind and dont think
> about this or 2) don't care for software piracy. One
> of the better ways in getting piracy reports is making
> "ET phone home" to servers :) 
> 
> 
>>To me, if I cannot lawfully prohibit customers from
>>reverse-engineering 
>>my product in my license agreement or terms of sale,
>>it is practically 
>>the same as giving them my source code.  I don't
>>mind giving away the 
>>source code on my hobby projects but I cannot do so
>>on commercial 
>>products that I depend on to pay my family's rent
>>and food.  With 
>>programming jobs being shipped overseas and
>>so-called "free trade" 
>>agreements designed to provide *access to cheaper
>>labor* (rather than 
>>"opening overseas markets to USA" as advertised to
>>the misinformed 
>>public), we simply don't have the luxury to share as
>>much as we'd like 
>>under different circumstances.
> 
> 
> Its like the LGPL welcomes program cracking. It is
> very easy to do if you know assembly. A bit difficult
> if there is a generator for a registration box though.
> This point is very good. Software piracy is a big
> issue. So.. /me *hugs* BSD/MIT/PD licensed libraries.
> 
> 
> --David Ross
> 
> 
> 		
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> 

Reverse-engineering is only one aspect. LGPL forces us to ALLOW 
MODIFICATIONS to our program by users.

Imagine selling a version of software limited to 2 CPUs to a bank.  And 
then the bank modifies your software to run on 32 CPU servers.

Or selling a standard edition of your product at a huge discount and 
then having customers modify it to work just like the professional or 
enterprise versions.

Soo....statically link your commercial app to Fox-Toolkit and you're 
required to allow reverse engineering of your app and allow users to 
modify your app (per Section 6 of LGPL).