[Asterisk-Users] Help with GPL license of Asterisk

[Steven Critchfield]

On Wed, 2003-10-01 at 07:56, costas wrote:
> >From the discussion thread, you will notice that the only real answer
> is to get a lawyers opinion. And even there the final answer is the
> judge. So hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

Or if you wish to write closed source apps, you purchase licenses.
Nothing in life is free. Open source software has strings attached, only
these strings don't go to your wallet.

> It seems no one can agree on this. And even a lawyer would probably be
> confused. Why? Because if your web interface depends solely on
> Asterisk to function and is not generic enough you *COULD* be
> obligated to also GPL. However you still retain copyright which means
> anyone else making changes to your code to sell must also include the
> source code and so on.

This depends, if all you do is change files on the file system, then you
do not need to be GPLed. The reason for this is that you are not linking
with GPLed software and you didn't need any header files or other
copyrighted code to do it. Then using a system or exec/fork style
command to issue a reload command to asterisk isn't linking either and
is okay. 

> I guess the only safe thing is to make something and open source it.
> But then you would have to chase around guys who 'steal' your code. 
> Or make something that is not succesful enough for someone to sue you.
> Look at the SCO example. They even had the galls to sue a company a
> zillion times bigger than them but after Linux was succesful enough.

You can't steal something that is given away. 

The SCO vs. IBM case is a good example of why the GPL is a "good
thing"(tm). When IBM leveled the counterclaim recently with regards to
the linux personality module in SCO systems, IBM was able to claim
knowing copyright infringement by SCO for commercial gain. After IBM
wins that point, every developer in the core kernel code will have a
breeze at filing their own copyright infringement case against SCO. SCO
will be a non entity soon for not playing by the rules of this country. 

-- 
Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>