Ok, going through hyopthesis things are getting clear:<div>my plugin is ok until it doesn't load something proprietary in its process space. As soon as it happens I must be able to provide the source of every code running in the same process. Right?</div>
<div><br></div><div>giovanni</div><br><div class="gmail_quote">2012/3/26 Vincent Picavet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:vincent.ml@oslandia.com">vincent.ml@oslandia.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hi,<br>
<br>
Le lundi 26 mars 2012 21:32:31, G. Allegri a écrit :<br>
<div class="im">> Ah, Tim, it's getting clear. Thanks.<br>
> The key point is distribution, as always with GPL.<br>
> In my case I won't distribute the ESRI geoprocessing libraries, they're<br>
> part of the ArcGIS distribution, which is only availbale to users having it<br>
> installed on they're computers.<br>
><br>
> The import satement will success only if the user have the ArcGIS product<br>
> installed, otherwise it will fail. As a consequence I felt I could freely<br>
> distribute my plugin as it doesn't strictly require the proprietary side to<br>
> run.<br>
</div>No you are wrong, as soon as your plugin is distributed and linked with<br>
arcgis, you have to licence everything as GPL and therefore provide sources.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> Doesn't GDAL do the same with ECW?! Ok GDAL are LGPL. Is this the key<br>
> difference?<br>
</div>Yes<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> Moreover it doesn't expose the QGis APIs to ArcGIS, and viceversa, so it<br>
> only bridges the two world to interchange the data.<br>
</div>Bridging with an import is a link. If you want to exchange data, do it without<br>
the import and separate your modules.<br>
<br>
please re-read my post and mentionned the FSF faq. Everything is in there.<br>
<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
Vincent<br>
</font></span><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">><br>
> giovanni<br>
><br>
><br>
> 2012/3/26 Tim Sutton <<a href="mailto:lists@linfiniti.com">lists@linfiniti.com</a>><br>
><br>
> > Hi<br>
> ><br>
> > On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 4:52 PM, G. Allegri <<a href="mailto:giohappy@gmail.com">giohappy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> > > Through the various considerations on this topic there are two<br>
> > > positions<br>
> ><br>
> > the<br>
> ><br>
> > > seems contradictory to me:<br>
> > ><br>
> > > "I did some research on this, and the conclusion is that import is<br>
> > > functionally and legally equivalent to linking during compilation, so<br>
> > > everything that imports qgis must be GPL." [1]<br>
> ><br>
> > So if you plan to distribute although technically possible to link to<br>
> > a proprietary module, its not legall possible.<br>
> ><br>
> > > then<br>
> > ><br>
> > > "you can import/link proprietary code into gpl code, provided you have<br>
> > > a license to do it."<br>
> ><br>
> > So if you have the license to ESRI etc. to use their libraries you are<br>
> > welcome to make yourself a QGIS frontend to ArcSomething, but you cant<br>
> > legally distribute that.<br>
> ><br>
> > > They probably mean different things and they're not in contradiction.<br>
> ><br>
> > Being<br>
> ><br>
> > > an important point to me, could you help in understanding it?<br>
> ><br>
> > Above is my understanding of those points anyway....<br>
> ><br>
> > Regards<br>
> ><br>
> > Tim<br>
> ><br>
> > > thanks a lot,<br>
> > > Giovanni<br>
> > ><br>
> > ><br>
> > > [1]<br>
> ><br>
> > <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2012-March/018976.html" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2012-March/018976.html</a><br>
> ><br>
> > > [2]<br>
> ><br>
> > <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2012-March/019000.html" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2012-March/019000.html</a><br>
> ><br>
> > > 2012/3/26 G. Allegri <<a href="mailto:giohappy@gmail.com">giohappy@gmail.com</a>><br>
> > ><br>
> > >> I think you're right but watch the reality from a worldwide point of<br>
> ><br>
> > view.<br>
> ><br>
> > >> I work mostly with foreign countries, not EU/USA. National offices and<br>
> > >> agencies budgets are far beyond the license fees, so they don't care<br>
> ><br>
> > for it<br>
> ><br>
> > >> very much. They pay yearly for something that already do the work they<br>
> ><br>
> > need,<br>
> ><br>
> > >> without having to do contracts for development, define requirements,<br>
> ><br>
> > etc.<br>
> ><br>
> > >> This is the reality. In my courses, even those based on ESRI software,<br>
> > >> I always introduce FOSS solutions. Sometimes it raises interest, most<br>
> > >> of<br>
> ><br>
> > times<br>
> ><br>
> > >> they don't care. They want the job done, and they don't pay for the<br>
> ><br>
> > license.<br>
> ><br>
> > >> That's it.<br>
> > >><br>
> > >> Anyway, if I wouldn't think that (most) of times a free solution could<br>
> ><br>
> > be<br>
> ><br>
> > >> the best way, I wouldn't be here to talk about it ;)<br>
> > >><br>
> > >> giovanni<br>
> > >><br>
> > >><br>
> > >><br>
> > >> 2012/3/26 Sandro Santilli <<a href="mailto:strk@keybit.net">strk@keybit.net</a>><br>
> > >><br>
> > >>> On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 03:31:53PM +0200, G. Allegri wrote:<br>
> > >>> > I totally agree with you, but reality is a bit different. Many<br>
> > >>> > agencies,<br>
> > >>> > corporates, etc. are not considering to leave they're<br>
> > >>> > infrastructure.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> It's their choice, they'll have to bear the consequences of that.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> > I suggest solutions to interoperate, not to switch the whole thing.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> What I'm saying is that it just costs more. And rightly so.<br>
> > >>> It is no interest of the free software users to make it any cheaper,<br>
> > >>> IMHO.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> > It would be easier, and a lot cheeper, if everybody talked one<br>
> > >>> > language.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> +1<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> > But we have hundreads of languages in the world, and we have to<br>
> > >>> > deal with<br>
> > >>> > this.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> People grow up learning the language of their mothers.<br>
> > >>> Nobody has to pay a license to _use_ that language.<br>
> > >>> And anyone can learn.<br>
> > >>> We're really not talking about the same thing.<br>
> > >>><br>
> > >>> --strk;<br>
> > ><br>
> > > _______________________________________________<br>
> > > Qgis-developer mailing list<br>
> > > <a href="mailto:Qgis-developer@lists.osgeo.org">Qgis-developer@lists.osgeo.org</a><br>
> > > <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer</a><br>
> ><br>
> > --<br>
> > Tim Sutton - QGIS Project Steering Committee Member (Release Manager)<br>
> > ==============================================<br>
> > Please do not email me off-list with technical<br>
> > support questions. Using the lists will gain<br>
> > more exposure for your issues and the knowledge<br>
> > surrounding your issue will be shared with all.<br>
> ><br>
> > Visit <a href="http://linfiniti.com" target="_blank">http://linfiniti.com</a> to find out about:<br>
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> ><br>
> > Skype: timlinux<br>
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> > ==============================================<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>