[geos-devel] GEOS License and iOS usage

[Stefan Klug]

Am 08.08.2012 13:11, schrieb Greg Troxel:
> Stefan Klug <klug.stefan at gmx.de> writes:
>
>> I'd like to include libspatialite
>> (https://www.gaia-gis.it/fossil/libspatialite/index ) in a proprietary
>> iPhone App. libspatialite depends on GEOS which is licensed under
>> LGPL.
> Do you mean
>
>     create a proprietary iPhone app and distribute it outside of the app
>     store?
>
> or
>
>    create a proprietary iPhone app and distribute it in the app store.
>
> Your note was unclear, and it's a big difference.
It's a app distributed in the app store.
>> As far as I know, it is possible to use LGPLed software on iOS if the
>> object files for custom relinking are provided. There are still
>> problems in using LGPLed software on iOS listed in
>> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/459833/which-open-source-licenses-are-compatible-with-the-iphone-and-app-store
>> specifically the need for a free iOS SDK which obviously isn't available.
> Do the app store terms permit a user to relink an application they have
> obtained?  It seems fairly clear that they do not (in practice anwyay),
> and that would make their terms and the LPGL incompatible.
I'm not a lawyer, but to my knowledge, it is enough to provide the 
object files "outside" the app store, giving the user the possibility to 
create their custom version of the app.
>> I know this is a difficult question, but it would be a pity, not being
>> able to use geos on mobile devices because of these constraints.
> The other view is that it's sad that much free software cannot be used
> on Apple devices because of Apple's constraints.  I suggest you ask them
> to change, rather than asking for change from people who have chosen a
> license intended to preserve the software freedom of users.  (And this
> is about Apple restrictions, not about "mobile"; please don't conflate
> those two things.)
I didn't want to start a fight here. I just wanted to hear others 
opinions. I estimate the chances of getting apple to change their 
linking restrictions to be nearly zero. I even understand these 
decisions from a security point of view.
I'm a big fan of open source software and I'm trying to participate in 
the projects I use on a daily basis. For me, the main Idea behind the 
LGPL is: Use this code if you like, but contribute any changes you make 
back to the community.
I don't think that the requirement of every user being able to replace 
the LGPLed parts, fits the current evolution of mobile ecosystems like 
iOS. But that's a personal opinion.

So again - no offense, I only think that spatialite/geos are great 
products and I wanted to find a way to legally use and support them.

Regards
Stefan