From: Peter Hickman <peterhickman386@...>
Date: 2011-02-08T18:52:33+09:00
Subject: Re: Choosing an office suite

On 8 February 2011 06:12, Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@googlemail.com> wrote:
> technologies. While you can grab database engines, libraries, etc. off
> the shelf, you have to check licensing (Anything GPL licensed will
> *force* you to publish your own source code, for example, while the
> LGPL doesn't have this problem), learn and deal with a lot of

Ok you are clearly channeling Steve Balmer here. Stop with the bullshit.

The only requirement to redistribute your source is when you modify
the source and then distribute the resulting product.

If you use GPLd code (say to parse XML or access a database) as part
of your product then you have no requirement under the GPL to
redistribute the your source code unless YOU HAVE MODIFIED THE GPLd
CODE. And only then you only have to release the source of the
modified code and not the whole product.

It is in fact very rare for anyone to need to redistribute the source
code of GPLd code. It usually only happens when you take a GPLd
product and then modify it and release that as your own product.

If your product is an online service then you are not distributing the
product and there is no requirement to release your source code.

A more pertinent issue is escrow, customers may want your code placed
in escrow to ensure that should you go under they can continue to use
and develop the product that they depend on.

See a lawyer about that.